Paradise Island
by Omicron the IceQueen
Summary: SG1 finds yet another world, and, unlike some others they’ve been too, this one seems to actually want to help in their own way. There may not be any Ancient weapons but this island has a really neat teleportation system, unique metals, minerals and more.
1. Oh cool, look at that!

Stargate – Bionicle (and Kora story) crossover 

**Summery: **

SG1 finds yet another world, and, unlike some others they've been too, this one seems to actually want to help in their own way. There may not be any Ancient weapons but this island has a really neat teleportation system, unique metals, minerals, handheld weapons, healing plants (and rocks too, of all things) but it's the people that are the most interesting. To top it all off, SG1 finds that they aren't the first humans there, in fact, there's only six other humans and they're not completely human anymore.

**Paradise Island **

Chapter One: 

Oh cool, look at that!

The sun here was larger then the one Earth orbited so it was a bit warmer in the day, yet there was a cool, constant wind coming from one direction or another. The sky was a rich vibrant blue that was completely untainted by any airborne, man made pollutants. There was a dark smug to the far south that suggested an active volcano or two. Other then that, there were a few wisps of clouds to the west, inland, and a nice fat rain storm coming in from the sea to the east.

Water was a large part of this region, wetlands, lakes, streams and rivers wove and poked through the land. Tall trees stood between one and four stories, brightly colored flowers and plump, juicy fruit swayed and dangled from all branches. Vines drooped down from some of the trees, a think, strong green vine that could be used for almost anything. Older, dried and dead vines that were lying on the ground under those same trees could by used for fires if they weren't soggy. Bushes and shrubs of all kinds littered the ground, some had flowers themselves and others had ripe (as well as not so ripe) green, red and blue colored berries. Despite all that there somehow were still safe, and dry, places to travel. The obvious paths were a clear sign that there were made by intelligent hands and minds.

There were two major structures the stood above the trees and land, one towering over the other by three times or more. Both looked like temples, both were more or less similar in design, one was just larger and a bit grander. The two temples looked very old, more then a few generations old. It was more like hundreds of generations old. At lest. Some places seems to be over grown with creeping plants and those vines worked up the sides of the temples, a few vines were also sprouting little purple flowers. There were others places that showed signs of habitations as well, but were well hidden from sight. The village was also well protected behind think walls, natural cliffs, over hangs, all equally camouflaged as the huts, boats and storage areas.

Since the village couldn't be seen from the temples, a group of four humans (…well, three humans and a Jaffa if you must know) didn't know that the island they were on was still inhabited just yet.

The day's light all but blinded Colonel Jack O'Neill as he stepped out of the temple like structure into the world outside. The man quickly popped his sunglasses on and pulled his hat down a little to get a bit more shade.

"Pretty." He said after a minute of staring at the vast wetlands below and sea far beyond.

"Wow." Major Samantha "Sam" Carter said as she fallowed the leader of their small band.

"Now that is impressive."

"Indeed."

Both Samantha and Jake turned to face the last two members of their team; Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c.

"Any luck with the translations?" Samantha asked turning away from the view of the land around and below them and looked at Jackson. 

"What?" brown haired man looked up from peering over the ledge to see just how big the temple was, "Oh. Umm, not so good." he stepped back away from the edge; it was just a little to far down for his comfort. "The glyphs are nothing like any human or Goa'uld dialects. Or any of our alien allies. . .and enemies."

"So it's completely new?" Samantha asked with interest.

The man nodded as his gaze caught sight of a pattern down below, "Is that a path?"

Teal'c moved so he could get a better look at the ground and nodded, "There appears to be many."

"Think they lead somewhere?" Jack asked, also risking a glance over the edge.

"Indeed." The Jaffa gave a slight incline of his head.

"So how do we get down there?" The Colonel rested his hands on the rifle clipped to his vest in a relaxed manor.

"I think I found a way down back inside." Samantha said and glanced back the way they came onto this 'balcony.'

"Just as long as there is no sudden fall…"

The Major chuckled, "I don't think so Sir."

"Then by all means, ladies first." Jack motioned in an overly elaborated polite gesture. Grabbing the back collar of Daniel's vest without looking in a practice move, pulled the younger man with him after the Major, "Come on now…"

"But there's some more glyphs down there!"

"We're going."

"Ow, not the hair…!"

* * *

Queen's notes: Only think I own is my story, it's plot, the Kora and some random Matoran OCs. n.n! I've been working on this story, not just this chapter but the consept for a few years. Both my father and I are Stargate nuts, so I'm runing this by him to help get the sence that is Colonel Jack O'Nell. Helpful comments and reviews is most welcome! If I do get something off I'd love to fix it.

Enjoy the rest of the story.

Icy


	2. Of Meeting New People

Stargate – Bionicle (and Kora story) crossover 

**Summery: **

SG1 finds yet another world, and, unlike some others they've been too, this one seems to actually want to help in their own way. There may not be any Ancient weapons but this island has a really neat teleportation system, unique metals, minerals, handheld weapons, healing plants (and rocks too, of all things) but it's the people that are the most interesting. To top it all off, SG1 finds that they aren't the first humans there, in fact, there's only six other humans and they're not completely human anymore.

**Paradise Island**

Chapter Two: 

Of Meeting New People

"Everyone stop!"

Three heads turned back to look at Dr. Jackson. The man had stopped a few moments ago so he was some odd paces behind the others. However, Jackson was staring into the bushes and ferns with an intent stare he normal used with absorbed in his work.

"Daniel?" Colonel O'Neill stopped in his tracks, his instincts kicking it into a higher gear

"What is it?" Samantha asked as the other two men stared eyeing the surrounding area warily. Though not extremely dense, the trees were still thick enough to block most of one's line of sight.

"I thought I heard-" Daniel's words were cut off by what sounded like a panicked yell and not two seconds latter a bellowed roar of something _big_ overpowered the yelp. Going by sound along that is.

Dr. Jackson took a step back, his eyes widening. At the same time he saw the shorter red and blue form of what had to be a native. The man realized too late that he couldn't get out of the way as the native came crashing into his legs and both fell. Driven by the being's gathered momentum the two went from one side of the semi wide path to the other, than over the edge and disappeared into a large fern. Two yells, one human the other not so much but close sounded as Jackson and his new friend found out the hard way that there was a slop on the other side of the fern.

It all happened in less time it took to blink and inhale. Than the real problem appeared, crashing through the trees in almost the same spot the little native life form had popped out of.

The thing that appeared was huge, four legged and feline-like in body shape. Like that of a big cat such as a tiger or cougar. Only thing was that this creature wasn't made of flesh and blood like a tiger or cougar. At least not that could be seen. A type of metal half made up and covered the beast, including two sizable tusk like fangs and some smaller but still relatively large teeth.

It took one, startled look and the monster metal cat's head to swing around to look at the other two humans and Jaffa before Jack O'Neill snapped up his riffle. Samantha and Teal'c were only half a moment behind him. All three fired in sync, two semi-automatic rifles unloaded full clips and an energy staff discharged blast as fast as it could.

The feline like beast ducked it's head to protect it out of reflex. Then, realizing that it wasn't getting hurt like it thought it was going to be, the creature leaned forward and road at the same time Jack's rifle clicked empty.

"Oh-shit!" The Colonel was back tracking as he heard Samantha's rifle click. Both military officers backed up behind Teal'c, trying to reload as fast as they could while Teal'c slowly stepped back one foot at a time.

The Jaffa aimed at the head of the snarling beast, but the energy blasts only seemed to be aggravating it even more.

"Sir!" Samantha yelled starting up shorter, more controlled burst. What ever she was going to say was cut off.

"It's going to charge!" Teal'c warned, his body tensing up.

"_CEEE-YAAA!_"

A completely new voice yelled from somewhere in the jungle rainforest before a white figure came out on the path and collided with the shoulder of the feline beast.

Teal'c stopped firing as the attention of said creature shifted from the three to this new threat with a started yawl. The beast apparently thought the white figure was a bigger threat as it turned almost completely around, swiping knife sized claws.

The new being was about the size of a human, bipedal and had pall white armor with hints of dark grey 'skin' that could be seen in gaps. The face was covered with some kind of mask. Neither Jaffa nor the two humans could get a good look as the being twisted and dodged swipes and lunges of the feline creature.

The being ducked and rolled, coming back up it lifted its arms up, reaching behind its shoulders. Seeming to defy reality two shield-like devices were now on its arms. The white warrior (for that was the impression Teal'c had from it) slid into an obvious defensive stance.

Both shields suddenly extended out to about three times its length. The left one lifted up to guard the chest and neck and the right shield was held slightly away from the body. From their angle the three remaining members of the SG1 team could see as the white warrior's right hand clenched tightened on the shield's grip. There must have been a trigger there for three, slightly curved 'claws' snapped out from under the leading edge.

The being shifted slightly and Samantha found herself meeting its colored gaze directly. One eye was a near imposable shade of ice blue in the irises, the pupil was as white as the armor. Where the left eye would be was a type of scope, with a few lenses ready to cover a red optic.

The mask seemed to glow a faint, light blue tint...

"Go!" The being yelled, in English and when the three didn't move yelled again as it (she?) ducked another deadly clawed swipe, "MOVE!"

"...Good idea!" Was Jack's opinion.

And they moved.

"What about Daniel?" Samantha demanded between breaths as she pelted down the path.

"We'll have to loop back around." O'Neill slowed and stopped once he felt they were far enough around a bend. He could still hear the roars and snarls of the feline creature as well as sharp cracks of metal on metal and the sounds of various foliage being broken or shredded. But the sounds were moving away from SG1.

"We're no leaving him behind." The man said checking his rifle. "Arms check, I don't think that...kitty is the only thing around here that may not like us..."

"I hope Daniel is okay." Samantha said as she checked to see what she had.

--

"AAAAHH!!"

"AAHH!! OH GOD--"

The double yells of panic were cut off as a human man and the much smaller, bio-mechanical being clutching his neck, dropped off the slop they had been sliding down and right into a far from still water way.

Water filled Daniel's nose and mouth and he felt his body's mammalian diving reflex kicked in, closing his airways and holding his breath as he plunged under the surface. His glasses were knocked off as the man's 'sledding' partner seemed to panic even more, flailing limbs in a desperate attempt to get back to the surface.

Hmm...an air breathing, bio-mechanical being...

Daniel had seen odder things over the years after seeing the Stargate for the first time.

Then, the man realized he was going to drown if his current mental speed (or lack there of) continued.

* * *

Queen's notes: Weeeeeeeee! At long last I get the drive and muse for this thing. Hope you like this anyways.

Cheers,

Icy


	3. First Meeting

**Paradise**** Island**

Chapter Three: 

First Meetings

"Aaaahhhh!!"

"Aahh!! Oh God-"

The double yells of panic were cut off as Dr. Jackson and his much smaller, bio-mechanical friend that was currently attached to his neck, dropped off the slop they had been sliding down on a thick piece of tree bark. They dropped straight down into a water way that was anything but present and genital.

Water filled Daniel's nose and mouth and his body's mammalian diving reflex kicked in. Closing his airways and holding his breath as he plunged under the surface. His glasses were knocked off, not by the multitude of underwater rocks and other obstacles, but instead by the man's 'sledding' partner. The little guy somehow managed to panic even more, flailing limbs in a desperate attempt to get back to the surface.

An _air breathing_, bio-mechanical being...

Huh...

Well, Daniel had seen far odder things over the years after seeing the Stargate for the first time. Such as the replicates, body-snatching snakes, Jack on a surge binge...

The man suddenly realized he was going to drown if his current mental speed (or lack there of) continued as well as his wandering thoughts.

_So_, Jackson thought, _What the hell are you going to do?_

Before the man could do more than that, a hand grasped the collar of his shirt from behind and yanked him back, and then up. Jackson's head broke the surface and he promptly started chocking, but some how had held onto the still flailing metal pigmy. The man pulled his new friend almost fully out of the water and a moment later it (he? The voice had sounded male) was right back to playing the part of a leach.

"Toa Gali!" the shorter native said, wide red and white orbs looking over Jackson's shoulder. It, he, for it really did have a more male sounding voice...did biomechanical beings have gender?

_Mental Note: Ask Sam._

Something blue, streamlined and _big_ stood up over the two, one hand hovering near Jackson's should, the other hand loosely held what looked like an axe. A double bladed axe. A little small in relation to the being the man was now staring up at with wide eyes but it would take Jackson both hands to probably hold the thing. This much larger biomechanical being was only hanging onto the shaft of the axe with three fingers as if it weighed nothing.

Considering the size difference between them... Jackson probably only came up to its middle, or at the very most the lower chest, it was a little difficult to tell sizes when one is sitting down.

"Kiata no atta Crotan?" The taller one asked and the softly glowing, blue eyes from behind the scuba like mask, glanced at the smaller one still clinging to the man. It surprisingly had a feminism tone despite being so big.

Jackson looked down at it, blinked, he blinked back and they both blinked back up.

"...umm, hi?" Jackson offered.

"Gali?" the smaller biomechanical being had the same hesitant tone.

Gali tilted it's (her?) head a little at them and reached up to slide the axe over the same shoulder onto a spot on her back where it clicked softly and stayed in place. "Ah'ra it taco?" She asked looking right at Jackson.

"I'm sorry I don't understand." Jackson said after a moment, able to pick out that he'd been asked something. But with out an understanding of a root langue (for this was literally a new alien langue he was hearing) the man could safely say he had no idea what so ever.

"Ata le Turaga Nokama, bu Kora Tala!" the smaller male being asked looking from Jackson's face and up to the female, "Rita, Toa Gali?"

Jackson wondered briefly if this was an example of the males and females on this world. He also wondered why it wasn't so surprising if that though was true. A lot of creatures had bigger females and smaller males, both on earth and other worlds. Hell even the Goa'uld queens were huge in comparison to the males.

"Ason?" a hand was shacking his shoulder and Jackson blinked up.

...when did the big one move?

The Gali was kneeling down and looking at him in the eyes, frowning in a fascinating way where the mask itself looked like it was doing so.

"...when did every thing get fuzzy?" Jackson reached up to see if his glasses fell off in the water. But they hadn't because he had seen clearly not a minute ago.

The man's hand didn't make it up. He felt heat suddenly explode across her back, over his shoulders, down his chest and up his neck before the world started blacking out. Jackson didn't even here the yelp and yell of concern.

* * *

"Anyone hear anything?" Colonel O'Neill asked in as loud as a whisper as he dared to the other remaining two of his team. He couldn't see them in the seer thickness of all the fern like plants around them, just like they couldn't see him, nor anything else could see them.

After a minute Major Samantha's voice rose out of the green and purple colored plants, "I got nothing sir, Teal'c said he was going to check if it was clear." The woman emerged out of a wall of green slowly, trying not to rustle the ferns.

Jack made a face, but didn't offer up the slight curse in his mind. Though tempting it wouldn't help. Teal'c was really damn good at sneaking when the big man wanted to.

Sneaking was what the Jaffa was doing, somehow managing not to catch his staff as he eased himself to the edge of the path he and the other two had fled from not five minutes before.

Just as Teal'c bent a purple fern he saw the huge cat-like creature before. He was about to retreat when he noticed the sluggish movements.

The biomechanical feline opened its mouth, lifting its right forepaw as if to swipe at the air before going completely ridged. White frost was seen then, covering over the creature thick enough to block out its colors.

That was....unexpected.

A head popped up over the giant feline's back, mask and armor as white as the thick frost. The bipedal being walked the length of the creature's back and ont the head. Bracing slightly bulky looking feet on the cat's fangs it carefully wedge the claws of one shield into what seemed like the beast's head. After some shifting, an annoyed sound and one good heave a rusty, if frozen looking mask came free.

With a yelp the white figure fell, twisting in the air and rolling, using one shield to desperately keep the freed mask away from its body. The over sized cat opened its jaws wider and slowly closed them. Green, softly glowing eyes blinked a few times as it stiffly started moving again.

"_Muuurrraaahhhss..._" it shock it's head, then shoulders then the rest of it's body free of the frost, large head swinging from one side to the other before regarding the white bipedal figure, sniffing the air.

"Rawhuun," The white being dropped the mask and stepped forward. As it did so the claws on the two shields that rested on it's forearms pulled back before the shields collapsed into themselves until they were a third the size they had been. Reaching back it somehow hocked the shields onto the backs of it's shoulders and held bout arms out, palms up to the creature.

Surprisingly, the biomechanical feline let ought a long, low growl that could be called a purr as it took a step forward, pushing its big head into the smaller being's chest.

"Yama," The figure said rubbing the eye ridge of the cat, "Gurrra Muaka, kee..." The being leaned back and patted the oversized cat on the side of the head as it shifted and walked away, still moving stiffly and shaking a back leg free of frost.

"Ya can come out now!" the while figure called after watching the giant feline slip silently away into the jungle growth. The voice was female, and once again speaking in English. Come to think about it the general figure of the being was a little female-like after the first glance and you knew what to look for.

It (she?) didn't move other then shifting from one foot to another. No move to look for then but at the same time knowing they were still around. She looked about to settle in when the 'mask' on the grown started to move on its own, looking to try and wiggle away.

Turning around, the being frowned and reached up over a shoulder to retake and extend a shield before rapping it on the living mask, freezing it in a layer of ice. Muttering something under its, her, breath the white armored figure stood up and put hand on hips, or really one hand the right still had the shield on the forearm that was used to scratch an itch of all things on the neck with the leading edge.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya!"

Slowly Teal'c eased himself out of the ferns, standing and flipping the switch to activate his staff weapon. "Please identify yourself."

The biomechanical being turned to face him smiling, which was interesting to see now that Teal'c had a clear view; the mask was living metal. There was no other way to explain how it could move in the same way a normal face could, to make facial expression. She bowed her head at the Jaffa, the mask giving a faint glow as she talked, "I'm called Tala, de Kora of Ice. Ya' can tell ya' friends ta' come out, there's Rahi dat like it in da' ferns."


	4. New World Start

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Four: 

New World Start

He jerked awake, panting. His eyes wide and staring strait up and the first thing that he saw of the hut he was in was the ceiling. The hut its self was a homely little place, though it looked like it was made out tightly weaved plant matter. There were designs on the walls, some painted on others expertly and almost seamlessly woven.

There were small stone sculptures of many unknown creatures and humanoid beings were on a few shelves that he could see. Everything was illuminated in the soft light of glowing stones as well as a greenish blue light from the middle of the floor that made crisscrossing patterns on the ceiling.

It was…calming. Almost hypnotic really.

Wait.

When did Jackson get here?

_How_ did he get here for that matter?

What was going on? Where was the rest of SG1!

"Ahh…so you're finally awake." An old voice said, somewhere behind and to the left.

Jackson whipped around, and than promptly wished that he didn't as the hut and all its contests spun around a few times and tried to flip upside down. The man had to grab the cot he was on to stay up right.

When the world around Jackson settled back onto its proper axis and the slow, unfelt rotation, he looked at what seemed to a small robot of sorts that was sitting at a low table to the side of the hut. No, it wasn't really a robot, her for 'it' had sounded female, eyes held an ancient wisdom and vast intelligence. It looked a lot like the other little biomechanical he'd met…

Memory reinsured itself with that thought. Though it was somewhat fuzzy and hazy on the edges after being tackled off the path, images blended together

The biotechnical being was mostly an azure shade in color, eyes a crimson red with a more pale yellow and orange colors in place of iris and pupils. It, she had on a cloak with a pattern that remarkably looked like it was of First Nations design, but at the same time not, of what looked like a water emblem was draped over her hunched back and shoulders. She carried a blue staff that had a clear stone (maybe a type of quartz crystal?) in the shape of a trident end.

As the being almost but not quite hobbled, leaning a little heavily on the staff as she came over to Jackson. It was obvious to the man that she was an elder of some kind.

"Be at ease far wander." When the being spoke, the smooth sapphire colored mask it had on glowed softly. She offered a slightly trembling hand out to the human, "I am Nokama, the Turaga of Ga-Koro."

"Ah…My name is Daniel Jackson," The man lifted a hand in some surprise to find his glasses there, if there was a small crack now that he was paying attention. "How do you know-"

"Your language?" Nokama chuckled as she gripped her staff with both hands, leaning on it a little more. She motioned to her mask, "I have the Kanohi Rau, the noble mask of translation."

"Kanohi…" Jackson echoed tilting his head and sounding the word out. There was no equivalent in any language. New word, new meaning?

"Here," The Turaga (was that a word for elder?) reached under part of the cloak and held out a stone medallion that hung by leather, or leather like strips that made the cord, "You will need this for your stay here wonder."

"Thanks…" Jackson took the offered medallion, it was a little heavier then it looked, peering at it first in curiosity then amazement at the finely detailed work, the strange cercal like carvings he's seen in the temple was almost deictically caved into the sides and outer rim. The man pushed his glasses up again and held the stone closer, "What is it?" he asked.

"It is a translation stone from Po-Koro." Nokama said, "It is easier to have you ware one rather then the whole village, while the Toa or Kora find a way to send you back to your own world."

That caught Jackson's attention and he looked up from the medallion, "Send me home? You mean through the Stargate?"

The Turaga tilted her head slightly, "I have not heard of such a thing wander." She turned but only to walk to a shelf to pick up a handless cup, returning and offering the cup, "Drink this, it will help to be sure none of the fire fervor is left in you."

The man took the cup, eyed the dark liquid inside and sniffed experimentally. It didn't smell so good.

Nokama chuckled watching him, "You are far from the first human that has taken the Ta-Wahi sickness. I have seen and treated Matoran and the Kora before their change. The tea is admittedly a little bitter, but it will do nothing but good for your body. Drink." She spoke in a tone of authority and age, someone use to leading and guiding.

Jackson took a sip and just kept himself from gagging. The biomechanical being was watching him, not unlike a grandmother making sure her little grandkids were taking all of their cough medicine. Trying to and failing to come up with a reason not to drink the draft of horrible tasting tea, the man made a face before downing the cup in three large gulps that made his throat a little sore and the need to retch had to be fought down with all his will power.

It just wasn't polite to throw up in front of a being that just spent who knows how long helping you.

"That's…" Jackson's voice was a few notches higher then he would have liked it to be, "That is…"

"Very bad tasting," Turaga Nokama chuckled again in understanding as she took the cup back, "I know, but it will keep you healthy from fervors."

"What happened to me exactly?" Jackson looked around again, taking in a few more details, and noticing for the first time that there had been a fog hovering in the back of his mind. It was clearing as he also noticed the slight movement that gave away a structure that was floating on water.

"The Chronicler ran into you, and you both fell into one of the many rivers of Ga-Wahi, that is the territory we are in right now." Nokama explained as she pulled up a stool so she could sit, rest and still face the human, "Takua is a Ta-Matoran. Very bad swimmers," She chuckled again. "Toa Gali saw your fall into the river and pulled you out. You had the fire fervor. I would tend to guess you may have gotten it from the Chronicler. Once a Ta-Matoran gets that kind of fervor they rarely get it again, but they can give it to others."

"Huh…" Jackson rapidly replayed what was said in his mind a few times to sort out what was said. He could grasp onto a few things.

_Toa_…

Totem?

A totem was any supposed entity that watches over or assists a group of people. Such as a family or clan, or a tribe setting such as this, at least that's what Jackson was picking up.

"Are you alright wander?" the elder asked looking up at him.

"Yes! Sorry, I was just thinking…" the man smiled, "Where am I exactly?"

"Exactly? You are in Ga-Koro, the village of water." Turaga Nokama stood and moved to a hide-like flap in the wall, grasping the edge and pulling it back to let sun light flood the hut, "Come."

"Oh, uh here let me…" Jackson scrambled and held the hide up.

Nokama chuckled softly, "Such respect for a Turaga that's not your own. Thank you."

"Turaga is an elder?" Jackson ask coming out of the hut after the biomechanical. He eyed the water and then his eyes widened a little when he realized the hut really was floating (come to think about it that _would_ explain the pattered blue light…). There was a board walk like path attached to and going around the hut and board connected it to long dock.

"Yes, in a way. There is a Turaga that leads and guides each of the six Koros, each village." Nokama nodded, pausing on the dock and waited until Jackson was beside her before thumping the end of her staff, the fist size trident shape stone against his side lightly, "That translation stone will do you no good in your hand. Tie the ends and put it over your head." She instructed, the tone of authority back. "I can not stay with you all the time wander."

The man blinked first at the Nokama then at the metalion. He did how ever tie the two ends of leather like cored and slip the so called translation stone over his head letting it rest on his chest. It was warm, but everything was including the air that was humid as well.

Now that he was alert, Jackson looked around and noted how well this Ga-Koro village was hidden. The huts looked like gaint lilly pads almost, some were up high on and in the cliff face. It was almost like they were in a sallow canyon, but not.

Off to his right was a wall of sorts, made of what appeared to be logs, not completely unlike those old, old forts of American settlers. Only the logs in front of the man were a very different in color and texture. It looked like there wasn't any bark, yet at the same time the logs still had that texture giving the illusion of bark.

The log walls were a good thirty, maybe thirty five feet high. Jackson squinted and found that it was both, there was two layers, the one closer to him was thirty feet and wider, making a path way. Behind those was another set to help protect those patrolling along the top.

Jackson glanced down at Nokama, noting her primary blue coloring. Then those nearest him and looked back up. The beings marching back and forth on the wall were red mostly. Now that he was looking closer he saw they looked a little more masculine then the blue being. Most of these biomechanical beings were around five feet, there were young, smaller ones and the red colored ones were just a little bit taller.

"Those are Ta-Matoran," The Turaga said looking, "They are some of the Ta-Koro guard that came to help us with some wild Rahi that have been attacking the village. Vakama sent fifteen of his guard." She gave the impression of smiling, which was impressive with the mast she wore, "There is a hunting party out now with some of our own guard and the Kora." She paused and pointed with her staff at the waters around and under the dock, "Toa Gali is here, checking the under water walls and gates with others of Ga-Koro."

"Are my teammates here?" Jackson asked, though how he managed a straight line he didn't know with all the looking around he was doing. Some of the blue biomechanical beings (…Matoran?) waved at Turaga Kokama and him yelling greetings. There was varying calls of thanks to the elder, good wishes to the man for recovering the fire favor and hopes that he wouldn't have to go through it again.

This place…Ga-Koro, it was friendly. Not the overly so in the way where it'd trigger a sense in the back of your head that things were to friendly in a way that was _off_. This was real, and how it was all the time.

There was a healing sense in the air of Ga-Koro.

"Teammates?" Nokama frowned, "Toa Gali only found you and the Chronicler."

Jackson opened his mouth to ask if he could impress on her and her people to help him find his friends, or where his equipment was. He didn't get a chance for a set of deep beats (drum beats?) sounded up high and every one froze, listening to the beats.

The Truagan's eyes dimmed as she closed them partly, gripping her staff in both hands, leaning on it as she mentally decoded what she was hearing. She chuckled, "Le-Koro is having another celebration of life next sun set." The elder shook her head, but looked more then interested.

"The Kora of Ice approaches!" a female voice called from beyond the wall in front of them, cutting Jackson off again.

Several of the patrolling Ta-Matoran rushed over to that part of the wall, peered over and one picked up the call. The red and grey being had a clearly male voice, "The Kora of Ice approaches! The Kora of Ice approaches…leads!" he added and motioned for two of his fellows to help with the main gate.

"Come," Turaga Nokama reached up to tug on the man's arm, "Perhaps the Kora Tala has seen your friends. Hmm?"


	5. The Elementals

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Five: 

The Elementals

The being was tall, and moved with a grace of a dancer and was _completely biomechanical_. Not to mention alive in the sense of intelligent, humanoid to boot.

Major Carter was almost twitching with her excitement, "So how does it work?"

Said being, Kora Tala smiled at the shorter human. That in of itself was fasinated as the mask that she wore flexed like it was the face. Or was it? It was hard to tell by just looking.

"Its called deep space." The Kora said in that just as intresting accent of hers. "Every Bionical has a' pocket…" She paused, "Well, not da Rahi."

"Is it like sub space?"

"Not exactly." The white being shook her head, "It's not really like 'o pocket demention exactly. More…like," Kora Tala made a face as she tried for the right words, her mask glowing a bit brighter. "What did da Turaga Nuju say…"

The Kora trailed off tapping the bottem edge of her mask. She continued her long stride down the path, leading the humans and Jaffa to what she called Ga-Koro, some kind of village.

"I forgot."

"…."

"Hey, it works," Kora Tala shrugged at the blank look she was getting, "Ya can ask da Turaga. I just use it. Not think it ta death."

Not for the first, or last time the off-worlders would find _this_ biomechanical being in piticular to be…. Very. Odd.

Although, the Colonel had to agree (privately) that sometimes if it worked you shouldn't mess with what ever 'it' was. You could indeed kill something by thinking too much about it.

"What is that?" Teal'c asked looking off into the jungle like wet lands on the right side of the path. He stopped to stare at the creatures that were apparently tacking a bath in one of the countless pools of water. They were brightly colored and had two sets of wings each. Like the large cat like thing from before as well as their guide, they were biomechanical.

The native cocked he head and listened with out stopping her stride, "Hmm? Oh, Gukkos. Think big birds. They be harmless, trainable though." The Kora explained, "They are a kind o' _Rahi_, critters."

Jack peered at where his team mate helpfully pointed out what he'd seen. They did indeed look bird-ish, and big enough to put a saddle on. Or two saddles.

"Hey… Kora?" Colonel O'Neill asked and was back even with the native. He wondered if that was a first name, but instead asked the glaringly obverse question he had not heard anyone ask yet, "How come you know our language so well?"

The white armored being looked back and smiled. She reached up to tap her mask, "I have a noble mask of translation." Kora Tala said, making an effort to keep her sometimes think accent to a minimal.

"How does it work?"

"I think minor telepathy tech combined wit' advance speech reconnection, as well as programs ta analyze da root languages. Combind those an' ya got a pretty good mask o' translation. Turaga Nokama's is better den' mine." Kora Tala said, she paused as the sudden silence of foot steps other then her own. She turned around and quirked up an eye ridge, the red optic in place of the left one shifted lenses. "What? I may not know much of Deep Space but I know my own mask. And ya not the first humans here."

She couldn't repress a light snicker of amusement at something.

"Ya'll find wanders, dat although we Bionicle prefer to live simply, we're fragging more advance then ya can guess."

"Graceful as ever ice-sister," A deep voice said chuckling, drawing all attention to the left. Yet it seemed like there was nothing there but the greenery.

Then Teal'c gripped the Major's shoulder, she was the closest to him, and the woman as well as the other man fallowed the Jaffa's gaze. It was understandable that they all went taught as a dumb hide could go.

Kora Tala was a few heads taller then the humans, well able to look down on them. The white armored female barley cleared the level of the 'stomach' on the being that now stepped out onto the path beside them.

"Brother!" The Kora said and grinned a wide smile as she hopped the three steps over. Arms held out she gave and received a light hug from this vibrantly red colored giant. They stepped back and half tapped, half clanked closed fists together, "What are you doing all the way out here Tahu my dear fire-brother?"

Vivid eyes (optics? No, eyes) that where a mix of red, white and orange and had not turned away from the two humans and Jaffa. In fact they narrowed, "I heard the mad Rahi on my way to Po-Koro…"

"Dat's takin' care of brother." Tala held up the living mask she had taken from the Rahi.

The rusty looking mask was taken and grasped in both hands of this Tahu. Then it made a high pitched, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…" sound as it…melted?

Yes, _melted_. The metal softened and bits started to drip off and between the giant's fingers. The smell of burnt metal was powerful and Tahu let out a growl like sound as he used his power to kill the infected mask. Then he shook his hands clean of the molten metal, unharmed from the heat.

"Nanau ke Tahu, nanau ke." Tala said, not translating what she said and peered over the top of one of her extended shields where she'd taken shelter from the flying hot droplets. She glanced over to see the two humans and Jaffa had retreated down the path for safety. Then returned a some what unimpressed look to the bigger being.

"Cadama." Tahu said, and since the Kora didn't have her mask power active it would no longer translate for him either. The giant with red armor jerked his head at SG1 and growled again. "Nika, hat frag hutami!"

"This doesn't sound good." Colonel O'Neill said, his hands holding his main weapon as he watched the two biomedical beings converse in their native language at a speed that could be considered 'break neck.' The unknown, rapid fired words that were spoken somehow flowed. Two different tones, one lighter and a bit more lyrical and the other far deeper with an edge like a cracking fire and yet both were smooth together.

It didn't change the fact that the giant was very clearly glaring and holding a very big sword in one hand, a twin sword was on his back like the Kora's other shield.

"What do you want to bet this guy is an authority?" Samantha asked softy, "Look at how Tala moves."

"Submissive," Teal'c noted, just as quietly for no one wanted to draw more attention to themselves.

"Almost." The Magor said. Damn. They needed Daniel, he was better at this, "It looks more like a…"

"Little sister," Jack said, remembering the comments of 'ice-sister' and 'fire-brother.' "They don't look like siblings…"

"We can't judge an alien species by our standards." Samantha reminded.

"Okay, okay brother." Tala said again as she turned back, "These are Colonel O'Neill, Major Charter and Teal'c," She introduced as she had been to the off-world travelers, motioning to each with her free left hand that wasn't holding the shield, "Wanders, this is Tahu Nuva, the Toa of fire and my elder brother."

"Why are you here?" Toa Tahu demanded, not quite interrupting. "We sealed the gateways to the human world seasons ago."

"…You mean the Stargate?" Samantha asked carefully.

"…Eh?" Kora Tala blinked, even her optics shuttered closed and back open.

"The what?" the Toa of Fire asked after a moment.


	6. Ga Koro

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Six: 

Ga-Koro

It wasn't so bad that the Kora was almost but not quite twice their size. She was a bit lean so didn't look as big as she was. The giant behind them? That was a bad as it seemed, it didn't help that said red and grey giant was radiation heat off his person and glaring down at them. Tala came close to his middle, more so his hips, but the two humans and Jaffa barely cleared his _knees_.

Major Cater glanced back for the thirty sixth time, yes she was counting. She was surprised to see the glare aimed more at Teal'c and Jack. Those strange eyes with white centers, orange ring like irises on a read backdrop then shifted to meet her gaze… and softened a bit.

Why was that?

Did these being consider females less of a threat?

Just before that half automatic indignation could flair up and huff, she remembered that Kora Tala had taken on that feline like beast, Rahi, thing…all on her own.

Maybe it wasn't that females were less of a threat… Could it be experience? Tala had said they weren't the first humans here. Could Jaffa come here? Pretty much all the time they had male scouting and attack parties. If that was it that might be why Teal'c and Jack were getting the worst of the heated glower.

In front Tala chuckled, glancing back, "Brother," She said, then the glow of her mask faded and she spoke in the two's native language, un-translated.

Toa Tahu's deep voice answered and he pointed at both the Jaffa and Jack. Snorted and looked around listening to some drum beat that came from behind them.

The Kora shrugged, paused and also listened before smiling.

"Um…what's going on?" Smantha asked.

"My fire-brother doesn't like your friends." Tala explained.

"We kind of picked that up." Jack said, tone a bit dry. But he wasn't the only one to wonder at the drum message, for that's what it had to have been. Yet the two biomechanical beings seemed not to worry of

"Can't blame him after what happened wit da Makuta's dark-poison," The Kora made a face, "We're _still_ purgin' the Rahi an' trackin' down the black thingies…"

"Alto-rahi." The Toa of fire corrected in an automatic way of not just an elder brother but somewhat like a father figure. "We would be done now if the Makuta had not stashed the poison." He almost but didn't complain out right, his voice hadn't changed its tone so it seemed more like he was stating a fact.

"We?" Tala rolled her eye, giving the impression of doing the same with her optic. "Ah, there's Ga-Koro!"

All that could be seen was a cliff to the right, and a maybe another one behind a wall. A wall that was made of dark colored 'logs,' some looked like they could rival red-woods here and there.

"The Kora of Ice approaches!" Tala called and several heads with masks colored blue, some were red and gray, peeked over the top of the trity five foot wall.

"Ta-Matoran?" Toa Tahu asked, surprised to see his people in the village of water. Then he saw the Captain of the Guard and guessed Turaga Nokama had sent for the Ta-Koro Guard for some help. The Toa hadn't actually been _in_ his village for a few eight-days, resting in his temple when not patrolling or making the trek up to Po-Koro for a good spar with his stone-brother.

A red and grey being that clearly had a male voice took up the call Tala had used to anouce herself and then passed it to who ever was on the other side, "The Kora of Ice approaches! The Kora of Ice approaches…leads!" he added and motioned for two of his fellows to help with the main gate.

"_Toa Tahu!_" Several voices cried out in surpize and joy when the massive red armored spirit of fire came into full sight.

"They seem happy." Jack commented, pushing his sun glasses back on since they were more out in the open now without the shading trees.

"Indeed." Teal'c nodded, and tilted his head slightly as there was an exiteced buzz behind the walls. "What are you doing?" He added to Kora Tala as she scrambled up on a platform that was shoulder hight to her and then up to a higher ridge of stone.

"You must get to higher ground for the gates to open." Tahu said and with out asking stepped over and picked up Major Cater. Hands wrapping around her sides, under the arms as he lifted the startled woman up to where Tala helped her onto the ridge.

It was some what undignifed, not to mention uncomfertably _warm_ when the Toa touched the three. Dispite his sear size he nimly leapt up, flipping over with what seemed like far too much grace.

The massive gates to well hidden village of Ga-Koro opened, interrupting any grumblings. One 'door' swung inward the other out ward. Water surged out in a river before the inner swinging door blocked the on flow. It was a cleaver defense, only those inside the walls could control the door that blocked or let the river free flow. No one trying to pry open the gates on the outside would be able to with out getting washed away.

And judging from all the claw marks as well as the deep groves and gashes in the dark wood of the gates, that were several logs thick, something had tried to get in on more then one occasion.

It was as the water rushed by that SG1 understood why the two natives had pushed them on the higher ground. The bridge that at least Major Cater had been was submerged until the water way was blocked off. But it still stood, being made with material far stronger then it looked.

Kora Tala started for the bridge but came up short when drum beats were heard again, this time from another direction and sound more sharper then the last set. She turned to the direction the sound came from. Tahu did too as well as the beings up on the wall. Everyone listened intently for a few moments.

"Dat's from Ko-Koro!" Tala said and somehow managed to stand up straighter.

"What beat is that?" Tahu asked, "I know the danger code but not the fallowing-"

"Avalanche!" The white armored Kora yelped, and was already five leaping strides away from the group of humans before the massive Tao interposed his person between Tala and her run. He looked back at the two humans and Jaffa, clearly not trusting them alone… "Gali!" he bellowed.

"Tahu come, we'll need ya." Tala turned partly, grasping her elder fire-brother's arm that held her back.

Jack opened his mouth to ask or say something when the water in beside him bulged up and a second giant surged up and out of the waters. The man understandably stumbled back away to make room. This blue and silver being wasn't as tall as Tahu, but still taller then the Kora and the SG1 team, and had a more female build like Tala.

"Brother!" she said, looking from the two other Bionicle and then to the humans.

"Gali watch them," Toa Tahu called as he ran after the shorter Kora who got away, "We will deal with this!"

"Achi?" Toa Gali asked, blinking and looking down at SG1, Tala and her mask of translation had were no longer in range to translate the water spirit's words into English. She looked back at the bright red body of her Toa brother just as he vanished from sight, Gali clearly wanted to go after to help as well but she seemed to had a distrust of the humans. Though not as visibly strong as Tahu's.

"…hi?" Jack offered staring up.

The blue and silver being chuckled before looked pointedly from the three and then at the bridge. She extended a hand out to it for an undeniable offer.

"Jack! Sam!" An all too familiar voice called. Three heads peered thought he open gateway at the man waving from a dock in yet another water way.

"Daniel!" Samantha called and stepped out onto the bridge first. It seemed more the steady, though it had a strange fish like thing flopping around half away down. Resisting the urge to poke the thing since it to was biomechanical, the woman was nice and nudged it off into the stream below. Behind, 'Gali' chuckled again as she stepped on the bridge last. It notable sank under the being's weight, but held firm and strong. That didn't stop the three for making all do speed across.

Dr. Jackson was fallowing a hunched being, also blue and silver as they navigated around to meet up with the rest of the SG1 team. "Hey guys!"

"So this is where you've been hiding all day!" The Colonel said once they were on the same dock. He watched with the other man as the Toa of water knelt down to politely be closer to their level.

"I know you." Jackson pointed at the guardian, "You're the one who saved me…and that other little one."

Gali nodded then looked over that the Turaga speaking in a softer voice then Tahu. Nokama nodded and waved her staff. Two of the blue colored being, Matoran, came rushing over at once. More then likely they were hovering. The two darted off after an order.

"Now," Nokama said turning back to the SG1 team that had been hurriedly filling in each other, "I have sent the young ones off for some more translations stones."

"Thank you Turaga Nokama." Jackson said, easily remembering the title. He understandable kept glancing up at the silent Toa that seemed she was happy to watch.

"When they come back, we well have to speak of your stories." She nodded to the humans, and then to the water spirit. "As well as ours."

* * *

WARNING! WARNING! The queen's Geek-Out ramble ahead!

Okay to clear up a few things:

1) Language

I'm making up the _spoken_ Matoran and Toa language, using syllables that sound non human. In this story the Bionicle are completely alien race so they're going to have a differed way of saying things, shorter or longer words with syllables and sounds meaning different things as well.

Yes I'm a geek, I warned you above.

I'm still going to use normal 'canon' spelling for a bunch of words, if you know Bionicle then you'll know what words they are. If not ask me and I'll be happy to tell you yay or nay.

Now, as to Kora Tala, she has a mask of translation. The way her mask works is that as long as the power is active she's basically an universal translator. Unlike Turaga Nokama who's mask translates only that she herself is the only one, and well, who ever she's talking to.

So humans can understand the Bionicle and visa-versa. Tahu is really speaking a Toa dialect of the Bionicle language, Tala's mask is translating it into English for SG1. When the mask power is 'off' human and Bionicle won't understand each other unless the rest of SG1 gets a translation stone too XD And they will.

2) Sizes….WEEEE!

As for the size scale... Okay, the way _I_ have always seen this since I was younger and first introduced to the world of Bionicle is this:

The Matoran are the ones that are human-ish size. Ranging form 4 1/2 to 5 feet tall. Some are a bit taller and some are a bit shorter, like the Ga-Matoran and Onu-Matoran are on the shorter side of the scale and the Ta-Matoran and Po-Matoran are on the taller side of the scale, with the Le-Matoran and Ko-Matoran in the middle. Of course there will always be exceptions to any rule. Such as Takua is a bit short for a Ta-Matoran and is more so the size of a Ga-Matoran, and Jalla (you'll meet him next chapter) is above average and can look a Turaga in the eyes.

The Turaga are a bit taller then the Matoran, and if they weren't hunched up with their age, then they would be closer to six feet tall. Not quite like a Kora. Again, some are a bit taller and shorter.

Still with me here? Awesome.

The Kora started out human, so they were Matoran size before getting several growth spurts (read: lacking all grace in this time XD The Matoran couldn't stop laughing at some points) in their change to Bionicle. At this point in time where Paradise Island takes place the Kora are 1 1/2, not really twice the size of a human.

The Toa, well you can blame my like of transformers on this a tad, if you look at most of the toys, but more so the first two movies: The Matoran are all roughly around knee-high to the Toa. So I see the elemental Guardians as relative giants. The Toa themselves are different in height as well. From tallest to shortest how I see it are: Onua, Pohatu (he is hunched up a bit but still has more mass), Tahu and Kopaka are even, Lewa and then Gali is the shortest of them.

La-gasp! Okay my geekness is over for now. Any more questions? (If you dare...AHAHHAHAH!)


	7. Healing

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Seven: 

Healing

As fascinating as it was listening and talking with the Turaga of Ga-Koro, Nokama wasn't just a story teller but a teacher as well. A very important fact was soon discovered. The days on this island, Mata Nui, were much longer then twenty four hours. Somewhere over forty eight hours was more like it in truth for a full day and night cycle.

It was Teal'c who found this out, he and the other two men had been distracted by keeping Samantha from trying to take her translation stone apart 'just to see!' They had missed their first check in and barely got up to high, clear ground to pick up a good signal for the inbound check from Stargate Command. As is was the Major was up in a tree making their report.

Jackson was still down on the docks bellow, talking with Nokama and Takua, the Chronicler (the one that ran him over before). O'Neill and Teal'c were down there as well, mostly because Toa Gali had only offered to bring one up the cliff face to the top.

Samantha shivered a little bit between sentences. Not that she wasn't grateful for the ride up but... Well, she wasn't fond of the idea that the only thing between her and a long, long drop was her own ability to cling to the back of the Toa being like a limpet. The trip down was probably going to be just as bad, if not worse.

It was.

Toa Gali hopped the last few body lengths (_her_ body lengths) and splashed into water that came up to her middle and she waded over to the dock the other humans were. An odd thing that was noticed by the woman, the Toa didn't seem to be affected by the natural drag of the water as the guardian came up to the group. Gali turned her back to the dock and two of the male Ta-Matoran, Takua and one that was introduced as Jaller (pronounced Ja-la) and was the Caption of Guard for Ta-Koro.

"Jaller is my best friend." Takua said smacking the other Ta-Matoran on the shoulder.

He was smacked back, Jaller was almost two heads taller then Takua, "That's because I am the only one that can stand you dragging me with you when not working, Chronicler."

"That is not true, Caption."

The two broke into a light slap fight before both were thumbed over the head soundly by Turaga Nokama's staff.

"Behave." The elder scolded.

"Yes Turaga Nokama." The two guilty Ta-Matoran said in unison with a bow to her.

The Turaga gave one of those huffs of exasperation the old had for the young sometimes before turning her attention back to the humans, "Where did you say this, 'stargate' is again?"

"We came out inside a structure. It was, um…" Jackson started, he paused looking around and then turn to the others for a directional reference.

Teal'c helpfully pointed at the same time Jack did.

"My Suva?" The water Toa asked, blinking glowing eyes inside her almost scuba like mask. She had her arms folded on the dock edge, staying in the water as well as closer to the level of both Matoran and humans.

At the same time Takua said, "Toa Gali's temple? Or the Kini Nui?"

Jackson wasn't the only one of the off world travelers to take note that there was a temple to the Toa. One or two privately wondered, and worried, about that, "I'm not sure which would be which," Jacked started.

"The Suva of Gali is an open temple like Lewa's." Nokama said, "I built it and some of the underwater guardians myself. I have never seen such a thing."

"The Kini Nui?" Jaller asked and the other three Bionicle nodded as they agreed that this was most likely. Then again as the humans described the place in more detail.

"The Great Temple has many secrets," The Turaga said tapping her staff on the dock twice the get the Chronicler's wandering attention back on track and away from all the interesting pockets on the humans. She was about to say something more, probably a request to see the Stargate, but a flurry of abnormal activity drew her own attention away. Nokama was more alert as she spotted several young Matoran, half the size of most of the rest.

"Toa Gali! Toa Gali!" Two of the young ones rushed out onto the dock. One was bouncing up and down, waving arms and legs and trying to run at the same time for attention. The other was holding something in her arms, both were blue in color mostly making them Ga-Matoran.

The Toa sank into the water and came up the other side, "What is wrong?" she called as Turaga Nokama pushed through the humans to fallow the guardian on the dock to the young.

Jaller had pulled a spear the same length of his body out of no where, deepspace really, out of reflex as he flanked the elder protectively on one side. The shorter Takua was on the other side with a typo of staff of his own. It was strange, looking with type of hammer on one end and a scoop on the other, and no seems. The two Ta-Matoran were trained fighters, quick to defend against possible threats and it was clear.

But there was no threat spear and staff went back into deepspace with slightly sheepish looks at each other as SG1 caught up. The two young Matoran, mostly the same body type but one's mask has silver in it and the other had some black, were looking between the Toa and at a Rahi creature in the arms of the smaller girl with the blue and black mask.

"Our rahrus are sick." The smaller girl said as the Toa couched in the water to bring her head down to their level, she held up a creature that looked like it was a cross between a snake and an alligator. It had a long neck and tail, slender body with six paddle like fins, three to a side.

"All six?" Toa Gali asked, using a finger tip to lift the little creature's head up. Both girls nodded.

"We can't find out what's wrong…"

"What is it?" Jackson asked Takua.

The Chronicler looked up, "A rahru, they are pet rahi here in Ga-Wahi." He explained.

"Can you heal him Toa?" The girl with silver in her mask asked, looking up with could only be described as hero worship. Turaga Nokama chuckled and shook her head with amusement.

"_Please_ Toa Gali?" The other girl said and carefully held up the rahi pet in both hands. It did indeed look sick and near limp, just hanging there in the girl's hands.

Takua grasped Jackson's hand, his eyes didn't leave the Toa but glowed a bit brighter, "Watch this…!" He said grinning.

Toa Gali held her left hand to the Matoran child and the Rahi was place with great care onto her fingers, it slid into her palm. The guardian stood up and lifted her right hand out of the water. At first it look like water was running out from under her armor, but it wasn't. The liquid was pulled up, looking like molding clay being stretched and then part of it broke off and formed a sphere in the air. Gali rotated her cupped hand to hold the sphere like the Rahi, the rest of the water splashed back down.

SG1's jaws collectively dropped.

The Toa concentrated and the sphere changed from clear normal water to a silvery color. Gali then cupped both hands together for a few moments, "There," she said and lifted the hand holding the silver water. A vivid purple head peeked out from between the fingers of Gail's left hand and the creature chirped. Galie chuckled and lowered her hand so the Rahi could swim over to the dock on his own, chirping at the girls who let out a cheer and dived in with out hesitation.

Gali glanced to her right, "Jaller, may Hacri and Ahna use your canteen?"

Jaller came forward, reaching over his shoulder to pull out a canteen like thing made of a hallowed out gourd. He uncorked it and pored out the water in it before offering it out. "Here."

The Toa took it and 'poured' the silver water in her hand into it and re-corked it. Then she gave it to one of the girls, "Give this to your other baby rahrus."

"What do you say?" Nokama asked, rapping her staff and eyeing the children like a grandmother.

"THANK YOU!"

Toa Gali laughed softly, lifting one of the girls up into an embrace and then shooed them off. She then looked over at the stunned humans, "Water heals." She said.

"…..How did you do that?" Major Carter asked after a moment.

"She's the Toa of water." Takua said before anyone else, as if that should explain all.

"I will explain on the way to the Kini Nui as best I can." Turaga Nokama said, pointing her staff threateningly at the Chronicler, who ducked out of the way and hid behind his friend, "Toa, would you please send out a message to the other Turaga?"

Gali nodded and the guardian leaned forward, sinking under the water before her for blurred and a wake rocked the docks.

"Wow." O'Neill said after a moment, ever so creative yes. But there wasn't much else to add at that sight.

* * *

**Bonus:** how this idea _first_ started.

"Oy, dad!" Tallen yelled from the living room. She was sitting cross legged in front of the large TV. One of her two X-boxes was on and humming softly with its disk tray out. The young woman was flipping through a large DVD case slowly, eyeing each disk.

"Yeah?" a man's voice, Ron, called back from the other side of the apartment in his room.

"Come out here!"

"Why?"

"I wanna watch a movie!" Tallen called.

"Then watch one!" Ron said, probably rolling his eyes.

"Not alone, get out here!" Tallen paused and then added as incentive, "Dinner is almost ready!"

"What movie?" Ron didn't come out just yet.

"Uuuhhh…Transformer?"

"Saw that last night."

"So? We've watched 300 for five nights in a row."

"Point. Next?"

"Hmm, Stealth?"

"…nah."

"Tomb Raider?"

"Maybe."

"…STARGATE!" Tallen cried spotting another binder and cackled, and then yelped and hurried to get dinner out of the oven. It was a little bit lather when father and daughter watching an episode with replicaters that Tallen's eyes drifted up to the top of the TV, and the figures there, tilting her head at the Toa.

"You know your Bionicle thingies in the kitchen?" Ron asked after spotting the toys too again and glancing at the grow light with more Bionicle toys clinging to it.

"My Visorak?"

"They look like replicaters."

Tallen choked on her food. "Oh my god they do!"


	8. Calling the Toa

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Eight: 

Calling the Toa

Dr. Jackson was oblivious, happily so, as he talked with the two Ta-Matoran Takua and Jaller. The man was sitting on the ground with the Chronicler, Takua was in the middle of a story that including arm waving and excitement as he talked. Jackson himself was scribbling down notes as well as having his recorder on. Jaller was standing, leaning against a wall behind his friend, spear still visible and attached to his back, pitching in a few things but mostly letting Takua do what he did best.

The taller Ta-Matoran kept looking up and scanning around. Although he was relatively relaxed he was ready to jump over Takua and Jackson (who was filed into the 'harmless' category be the Caption) and defend the Turaga. There were four of Ta-Matoran, the Caption of the guard himself, his second Kapura, a tracker named Laki and the Chronicler. There was also three of the Ga-Koro guard flanking Turaga Nokama, their Caption Hali and another two trackers named Naba and Hutana.

Toa Gali was somewhere, all the Matoran assured the humans when asked, she just didn't want to be seen right now. The water spirit was still protecting them but not hovering since there was both Ga-Koro and Ta-Koro guard here.

It was a little creepy. How someone that _big_ could just vanish like that. More so since Gali had been at the head of the group leading the way back to the Kini Nui, the Great Temple. Then she just seemed to vanish into the wet land's greenery.

Turaga Nokama wanted to see the Stargate, escorted by her three body guards. It had been explained on the walk back to the Kini Nui, and the elder managed to baffle Samantha a few times over with in depth technical questions of the inner workings of both the gate as well as the DHD. The Ga-Matoran were just as interested in it as well.

The Kora, Tala had been right. The Bionicle people were far more advanced then they looked.

Err.

If you wanted to get technical, they _were_ as advanced as they looked, being biomechanical.

Most of the technical babble went over the heads of Jack and Teal'c. The human man just 'called home' for a better report then the one given up in a tree. Not fully sure about the matter, he pulled off the translation stone and set it aside before starting. Jack had to agree that all of this seemed just a little too good to be true, but then again. He explained what he had seen the missing Toa of Water do, described the two Toa they meet, did a quick check to see what pictures were taken and Samantha sent them.

Turaga Nokama was introduced viva the camera (as well as her body guards, who had somehow switched to Kapura and Laki), even though the General wasn't seen on their end the elder was still quite happy to talk to the human's equivalent of a Turaga.

"The other Turaga have been sent for," Nokama was saying now, "Your waders are welcome to stay in Ga-Koro for the few days travel gore the others meet here in the Kini Nui. I am sure Toa Gali will allow it."

"_That's very kind Ma'am, thank you._" Hamman said through the radio, "_But they are over do and I would like to talk with them. And you too if I may._"

"We are talking." Turaga said. The Ta-Matoran on ether side of her managed straight faces for all of three seconds before one, or both, gave a soft snort and struggled to hold in their amusement. Nokama chucled, smilling in her own way as she patted the taller Kapura on the arm, "My brothers and I would be honored to speak to you in person."

"Turaga!" Takua came clomping up from where he and Jackson had drifted to a window, the Chronicler hand been explaining Ta-Koro and pointing out the volcano he and the other Ta-Matoran called home. "Ga-Koro's durms! The village in is under attack-"

"What?!" Hali abandoned her soft conversation with the Major.

At the same time Jaller said, "By what?"

"Bohrok!" Takua was almost waving his arms. It did not pass noticed of the humans, both SG1 and those watching viva the camera that all the other Bionicle flinched and/or cringed.

Turaga Nokama, a stedy rock in the worst storm was the one who turned and took a half swipe with her staff at the nearest human. Jack just managed not to get a thump on his chest, "Quickly!" The elder said, "Go, return to your Koro, we well deal with this. Jaller, Hali," She turned back around.

The two Captions already had out spear and hocked staff and had got the other Matoran to into a formation and were out the door. The Ta-Matoran had shields and spears, except Takua who had that strange staff with a hammer one end and a scoop on the other, the Ga-Matoran with their staffs that had a hock or axe shaped blade on one the end.

"Stay here Turaga!" Jaller said, the last to leave, "Get to the top of the Kini where its safe."

"I shall send for the Toa." Nokama said making good time for her age.

"Wait," Samantha said fallowing the elder, "What's going on? We can help-"

"I am afraid you can not," Turaga Nokama stopped to face SG1, "You are fully organic, the Bohrok, though no longer in the great swarms they use to be, will still crush you." She game the woman's shoulder a thump with her staff and pointed at the Stargate, "Leave now before you are food to the beats. We have defended and defeated these monsters before and shall do so again. We have Gali and Deni to help protect us. Now I must summon the other Toa."

"We're still going to escort you up to the top." O'Niell said in that way of someone who had to be knocked out to change his mind.

Nokama made and aggravated sound, saying something about the exasperating youth no matter the species. But she didn't smack any one else as she once again move with more speed then her hunched, aged body would suggest it could move. The Turaga did have to use her staff to help her up the seeming endless stairs she marched up to a camber that was at the very top of the Kini Nui. There was a wide open 'roof' and six pillars that had different emblems carved into them, facing inward to a ridged ring in the middle of the camber. There was smaller symbols as well, but the main ones half way up the pillars commanded most attention.

Fire and water were the easiest to identify. They were made of some semi transparent material of red and blue respectfully. The others hand their own colors as well, a tan/orange, white, green and black.

The Turaga bypassed the water one and reached out to fire, pressing her hand onto the smaller symbol on the side at chest level. The larger symbol glowed brightly. The green one was next, then black, white and tan.

"Stay out of the center," Nokama said motioning to the humans, who had helped her, "Unless you wish to be one with a Toa."

"That's not a good thing I take it," Samantha asked as she and Teal'c shielded the Turaga.

Nokama shook her head, "Only Bionicle would be unaffected by an _inbound_ teleport. Pure organic matter, if in or near that inner ring, will be broken down and absorbed into the next Toa that comes through."

Jack and Danial's jaws dropped as energy cracked and a green glow formed along the edges and ridges around the room. On the walls, floor, pillars and then visible in the air.

"Absolutely painless," The Turaga said at the exprestion of morbid interest on Major Charter. "But it is not something you would wish do."

"No," Samantha agreed, "That's not something we'd want to do." Her eyes shifted to the center and blinked. No her eyes weren't playing tricks, there was a figure curled up in the light. It became soiled, a ball of vibrant green armor with under tones of gray. Then it uncurled and landed as the light faded away, dropping with enough weight to shake the flour as it…he balanced on the feet and hands.

This new giant have a mask that looked like it was always smiling, bright eyes that glowed white with orange rings. He move vaguely like a bird in looking around but was far, far to graceful as he rocked back and stood, "Who seekcalls Toa of air?" The voice was lighter then Toa Tahu, but still clearly male.

"Toa Lewa," Nokama called and the guardian turned, dropping down to get his head closer to their level (and he looked very interested in the only human he could clearly see, much to Samantha's nervousness). The elder pointed her staff up to the 'skylight,' "You are needed at Ga-Koro."

"Is that-" Lewa started to asked, about to poke the Major but the Turaga's staff met his face and Lewa rocked back up again, out of reach, "Frag!" He said, or cursed, rubbing his mask on the offended spot.

"_Hurry!_"

"Lewa is always quickfast." The Toa didn't quite grumble. But he reached back over his shoulders and pulled free two long blades. They were more slender then the Tahu's and not as thick. The Toa leapt, his mask glowing as he…hovered.

Streamlined his body Toa Lewa held his blades in a reverse hold, with arms held out and the ends of the blades braced on his hips he surged up into the open air. Wind swirled in the chamber for several minutes after he left.

"Are all these Toa that big?" O'Neil asked over the air movement.

Turaga Nokama gave a soft laugh, "Lewa is far from the tallest or largest of the Toa." She pointed at the energies that were starting to reform. This time it was white and red in color, "Here come Kopaka and Tahu."

More then one human was nervous at the Tahu's name.

The flour shuttered again, this time the white armored being wasn't Tala. Bigger, broader in the shoulders with a single, wider shield on his left forearm and a double blade grasped in his other hand. He half through himself to the side and rolled up to his feet, again there was that almost unnatural grace in the giant's movements like the others. Something _that big_ should be able to move like that!

As Tahu landed right after, the white being turned a very calm, yet some how so cold it was just as aggressive as Tahu's burning one. Kopaka wasn't overly fond of humans either.

Someone swallowed.

"Stop hiding behind me." Major Cater said, wanting to hide her self.

* * *

Queen's notes: Wow I'm going to get killed one of these days for my random cliffies XD BUT I LOVE THEM! Anyways, as to the Bohrok – let me explain before you start screaming. I heard somewhere that there are still Bohrok running around, but in smaller groups then the swarms of thousands of the massive bugs. I can't remember where that was but I liked the idea so…yeah. XD And the Bohrok are awesome things to scare the daylights out of any human, more so if you go by my size scale of things. I think if they are left alone they don't bug anyone, but here, for some reason this small swarm took offence at Ga-Koro.

Hmm… Well, to the question of Gate Toa (awesome name by the way if I haven't said that already) I don't think I'm going to de a cross of SG1/Stargate and Bara Magna. I _AM _how ever plotting to punt the Kora there with Takanuva…I need to finish my over haul rewrite of the Kora Story first though…even so I'm still writing that X,x ....I still want to see Ackar's reaction to Tala faceplanting on him XD

I want to hug Mata Nui in his Toa form…


	9. Report

**Paradise ****Island**

Chapter Nine: 

Report

The playing video showed the wide room of the teleportation chamber room, with the wide open 'roof' and six pillars that had different emblems carved into them. The energy that was visible gathering was black in color, swirling into the center of it all.

"And _this_" Colonel O'Neill's voice spoke up in the darken conference room "Is where we all just about wet ourselves."

On camera there were several chocked, muffled sounds as a Toa bigger in height and mass then any other seen yet thudded down. The sound of that 'thud' was audile over the video. There were a few winces in the dark as the sound of each heavy foot fall as the giant bee-lined to SG1 and the small, hunched figure of the Turaga.

The black armored being with bright glowing eyes tilted his head, looking down with more calm then the other Toa. If the seer size wasn't intimidating enough, one couldn't tell if this true giant would ignore you or step on you.

"And these…Toa are the protectors of these people?" General George Hammond asked, ignoring Jack's pitched in comments for the most part. But for this last one he could sympathize.

"Yes sir, we only saw the five, umm…" Major Samantha's voice said from somewhere to the right of the screen.

"'Onua.'" Dr. Jackson supplied from the left. A moment later the little red dot of the laser pointer pointed emphatically, even circled the black and grey giant, "He's Onua according to Nokama –wish those translators worked for the video- but he escorted us back down to the Stargate."

"To make sure we were 'safe off to our home Koro.'" O'Neill again.

"What ever these 'Bohrok' creatures are that were attacking, they really didn't want us to get under foot..."

Jack made an interesting sound, and then the sound of his chair squeaking, "The place seemed almost too good to be true…"

"I agree," Teal'c spoke up for the first time in a while, "But these people, despite their impressive protectors were very hospitable, and sent along some tea."

Daniel almost choked from just the memory of the taste, "Um, that's incase one of us get that 'fire fervor' I had. It works, but it's _nasty_."

"Is there any Goa'uld influence?" the General asked.

To the right, "Not that anything I've seen Sir."

To the left, "The Bionicle have their own beliefs that are interesting, but nothing like Goa'uld."

"Go on Dr. Jackson."

"Well, from what I gathered from Turaga Nokama, and more from talking with their Chronicler." Daniel said in the dark and there was sounds of keys being tapped and then a mouse click before the video paused and the screen changed to a slide show, "They have a 'Great Spirit,' even named their island after him: Mata Nui. Also from what I gathered they don't really worship him like a god. They do honor him, I mean that temple..."

Another mouse click or two.

The image changed from the elder talking with Samantha and the always two hovering Ta- or Ga-Matoran guards, to one of when SG1 were being led back to the Great Temple. Even in the photograph the tall blue and silver form of Toa Gali at the head of the group looked as fluidly graceful as she had been.

"Who's that again?" Someone asked in the dark, the female voice belonging to the head medical doctor, Janet Fraiser.

"Toa Gali." Major Charter said and there was tapping of keys on her side. "She's the one that…healed those, um, critters-"

"Rahi," Dr. Jackson supplied the word helpfully, "The one was called a 'rahru.'"

"Right," Samantha did an amassing feet of giving the impression of nodding, "It looked, at least from our angle like she had pulled the water up and-"

More clicks and the screen changed again. The two loved their new set up, the major also like her new recording system she had been trying out on the last mission. The camera was small and fitting over the ear, but good quality. It gave a first hand view of things, and helped those that hadn't been on the island of the size scale of the Toa and that one, massive feline like Rahi. On the screen now was the video of when the Toa of water, it was still amazing how careful she was with both the young Matoran and the tiny rahi. The even more amazing sight of the manipulation of the water, the silvery glow and then the healed rahi.

"-I really want to know how that's possible." Dr. Fraiser, she sounded like she was sitting near O'Neill.

"I intended to ask," Samantha said more to herself. She paused, and then more tapping, a few mouse clicks and the video changed to the white armored figure of the Kora Tala.

"Didn't see her," Daniel said.

"You were in a hot spring." Jack pitched in helpfully.

"Hush." Dr. Fraiser said and there was a smacking sound, the Colonel huffed in response.

"That is Tala," Teal'c said for both Daniel's benefit and the others in the darkened room.

"So that's a Kora…"

"Not as big as the Toa, but looks bigger then these people." General Hammond said, speaking up after quietly listening for some time.

"The Kora are referred to as younger elementals." Dr. Jackson said, thoughtfully, "The Toa as elements...I think the Toa are regarded as spirits as mush as protectors. Takua said something about a temple for Gali."

"A temple?" The leader of Stargate command asked.

"Yes, but I didn't have time to get a good look, but it's smaller then the Kini Nui, their Great Temple." Daniel brought up an image of a domed roof half hidden in the tree some distance.

"Do they worship these 'Toa?'" Some one asked in the dark.

Dr. Jackson made a sound like a huff but not really a growl, "No. They do not worship them," Daniel wasn't fond of repeating himself and that question had been asked enough times that it seriously annoyed the man now.

"Easy..." Jack's voice, saving who ever from a verbal bite.

"As I was saying the Toa seem to be referred to as element spirits as much as protectors. Nokama did say we could come back in a few days."

"Their days seem to be longer then ours, the sun only moved a little in our time there." Samantha said, "From what Nokama and I worked out their day, a full cycle of from dawn to the next dawn is about two and a half days. Around sixty hours."

"Long days, but from what Takua said and what I saw the Matoran rest when tired," Dr. Jackson said, "He said that the Toa can go long period with out any rest, but I'm not sure what is considered 'long' by their time table. I'm assuming the Kora are somewhere in between, Takua said they have greater endurance then the Matoran but not as much as the Toa have."

There was a pause.

"So," Colonel O'Neill's voice said in the dark, "Can we go again?"

* * *

Queen's Note: Okay, not the best story I'm going to write but I wanted to see if I could do this with only sound and vocal references in a near sightless setting. I tend to do self writing changes like this. Hope you like this anyways.


	10. Turaga

**Paradise ****Island**

Chapter Ten: 

Turaga

When Major Samantha Carter stepped out of the shimmering 'pool' of energy the first thing she were no less then six, armed Matoran. The red, black and orange coloring of three Ta-Matoran guard as well as three Matoran colored in white and grey. As said, they were all armed, the white ones have different shields though, longer and shaped more like a water drop.

A yellow masked head peeked over one of the brown shields with a flame design, "Neka!" Jaller's ordered and the guard relaxed a little, but spears and….what ever the white ones were holding weren't put away. Only the Caption of the Ta-Koro Guard slid his onto his back, he reached to the under side of his shield, pulling out a translation stone, tossing the medallion to the human woman.

"Greetings Major." Jaller said formally.

"Captain." Samantha nodded, "It's good to see you again."

"Friends of yours?" Jack asked coming up beside the woman, catching another medallion.

"The Turaga wished that the Ta-Koro and Ko-Koro guard make sure this 'star gate' is watched until the barriers are made." Jaller said, still in that formal way that meant he was On Duty. The Ta-Matoran turned to another, "Kapura, escort them down to the chamber the Turaga are. They wish to talk to you." He added turning back to the humans, passing over the other two translation stones.

A tall, clack and orange Matoran stepped away from the others, his long spear like staff held at a relaxed, but ready pose, "This way." Kapura said in a surprisingly soft voice, and started down the adjoining hall.

Jack shrugged at the other three members of SG1 before fallowing. He gave Jaller a nod as they passed and got one in return, though the other guards remained still and looking rather intimidating.

"Is Ga-Koro alright?" Daniel asked their guide, coming up beside the taller Matoran.

Kapura looked down at the human with a little surprise, "...Yes." again his voice was soft and on the quite side, "The Toa defeated the swarm."

"What are the Bo…the things anyways?" Jack asked, and then halted in his steps when they rounded a corner. He was almost ran over by Teal'c, who just managed not to do so, though the big man jerked up his staff weapon at what he saw.

"That." Kapura said and helpfully pointed at the hulking... monster in case the humans missed it talking up most of the room in the hall and part of the doorway that led to the chamber beyond.

It looked to be crouching, but relatively short legs were stretched out behind it, it had 'hands' that were more disk like but pattered shields that rested on the ground. The monster has limbs, legs and arms but it was bipedal like human or Matoran. The body was more rounded and the 'head' was almost too big, it too also looked like shield, sloping back and was very wide. It had some kind of black marking on it with the silvery background making the marking stand out, as well as being a bit worst for ware with some small grooves and nicks here and there.

On the lower most portion of the head were sizable tusks that were larger then a man's forearm and looked like the mouth could clamp down on and break a Toa's own arm…or wrist at the least. There were also two, darkened, large 'eyes' that appeared to be carved crystal of a deep green.

The thing was more bug-ish then anything, and it some how gave the impression it could curl up. It _was_ partly curled up for that matter. The Bohrok would stand up right at a good ten, maybe fifteen feet tall. It was most a black color with silver joints, shields and feet a well as dark grey under tones.

It moved.

The humans leapt back, hands dropping to what ever were the closest weapons to hand. Although Dr. Jackson had side-jumped to half hide behind the safety of the Ta-Matoran.

Kapura looked at them camly, not seeming to mind the one using him as a body shield… this wasn't the first time some one had sheltered behind him. Kapura was after all the second in command of the Ta-Koro Guard led by Jaller. His softly glowing white on red eyes shifted from SG1 to the Bohrok carcass and then over its. "How is the building?"

That comment had Daniel peeking out. "What?"

The head of one of the slender Ga-Matoran also peeked up from behind the Bohrok's head shield, "Oh, Kapura!" The Bionicle couldn't blush but there was a definite humming like sound that suddenly came from the girl, "Sorry this is in the way, we had to make room for the others the Toa had brought up. Hang on…"

She vanished from sight and the empty carcass shifted again, the head shield moving forward and then falling. Kapura stepped forward and caught the edge, lowing the having looking thing down. The Ga-Matoran slid down on the inner part of the head that vaguely looked like a seat. Using some interesting tools pulled from a deepspace pocking she disconnected the shield that was almost as big as she was.

"Wow." Sam said watching the Ga-Matoran, who barley cleared Kapura's chest, heft the shield over her head and ran effortlessly into the next chamber.

"I got another one!" She called to other blue, and a few black colored Matoran working on a gate like barrier of a wall, keeping the chamber and thus the Stargate sealed from the rest of the Great Temple.

"We Matoran are very strong." Kapura said and for the firsts time showed emotion, almost puffing up in his pride before relaxing back to the calm quite of before, "Bohrok are not biomechanical like we and the Rahi, so they are easer to recycle." The Ta-Matoran said as he side stepped the arm and then the foot of the over sized 'bug,' "No fear, the Krana of this Nuhvok and the others are no more." He added as he waited for the SG1 team to cat up.

Kapura stayed mostly quite after his brief talkative mood. But just before he led them the way to a new part of the Kini Nui, something Caught Teal'c eye.

The Jaffa slowed his stride as he looked to the right down a side hall that was dim but the two figures there. A black Matoran and a smaller blue one that came up to his chest, he had just caught her hand and then the other. For a moment nothing happened, then slowly he ducked his head and pressed he mask to the Ga-Matoran's, both staring at each other in the eyes that were glowing.

It wasn't a kiss as Teal'c knew it, but he was struck with a realization that this was a tender moment for the two Bionicle being and he looked away respectfully. Thought he did make a mental note to tell Dr. Jackson of this.

The place they were led to was big enough for more then one Toa to be comfortable in. All of them in fact, as well as many Matoran (or human) could side here with room to spare before it got to tight. The entire place was lit by well placed, illuminist ferns as well as foot high stones that both gave off a gentle, blueish glow that was bright enough that all of them lit the place.

There was six levels, not including the bottom, that were used like benches for sitting. Each level was smooth and polished, carved seamlessly into the bedrock under the Great Temple. Here and there were some groves made by Matoran bodies that had jostled each other for a better view or an ill placed foot of a Toa in the past.

The levels were wide enough for the vibrant green giant on the second lever near the bottom to stretch out. The Air Toa was lounging on his side, with his head propped up with on hand. The other was on his side and partly over a much, much smaller black and tan colored Matoran child that was sound asleep. To his young knowledge there was no safer place to take a nap then to be on or near a Toa, and there wasn't.

Lewa, like all Bionicle, didn't have true lids. The way one could tell if his eyes were closed was that the glowing gaze was narrowed to horizontal, dimly glowing slits. He _seemed_ to be deep asleep, thus not as threatening.

There were others in this place, two Matoarn to each of the six hunched, aged being that had to be the Turaga. Nokama her self was there with the others at the very bottom surrounding a sand pit and talking. She turned when one of her aids tugged on her arm and pointed up at Kapura and SG1.

"Brothers, our guests have arrived." The water village elder said, drawing attention away from what ever they had been discussing. It had something to do with 'Kohii.'

Kapura bowed to those below, and then stepped back. He left with a soft, "I must return to my duty."

Jackson wasted no time in getting down, sitting and hopping down to the next level. He smiled at the Matoran he recognized, he also saw Takua who had been hidden from sight leaking back on the legs of the Toa as he dosed himself. The Chronicler had a long few days after all.

If the man hadn't been at the angle of the last level he was on, Jackson would have missed it.

Lewa, far from asleep, nudged Takua's back lightly with a knee to wake him. The Toa then went back to pretending he was sleeping.

"Welcome travelers." The Turaga of Ga-Koro said, formally, "These are my brothers, the Turaga. Matau of Le-Koro."

"Highgood greetings farwanders." Matau was a shade darker then Lewa, his two aids sitting on the first level just as bright as the Toa. He bobbed his head to Daniel and then tilted it to watch the rest of the SG1.

"Whenua, the Turaga of Unu-Koro." Nokama motioned to the black elder that was comfortably sitting on the first level to the human's left. The nearest light stones covered to save his green on blue eyes that were glowing the brightest along with the Onu-Matoran hovering close to him.

Whenua inclined his head, his staff across his lap, but didn't say anything yet.

"This is Onewa of Po-Koro."

Onewa gave a snort as he looked each human and Jaffa over with critical eyes. Taking notes mentally as well as making Samantha shift away from this obviously grouchy elder standing under and in front of Whenua and leaning on his staff.

Nokama inclined her head to the white elder that had a shadow that was really a Matoran, grasping his free arm for added support, "Dear Nuju, Ko-Koro's leader. And Matoro."

Turaga Nuju gave a rather loud whistle (leaving Daniel to wonder how he had that much breath being the leanest looking of the elders), staring at Jack and Teal;c, pinning them with his white on blue eyes. He rapped his staff on the stone flour, making an series of clicks, slightly less loud whistles and a few other sounds. After he was done, Nuju's living shadow spoke up.

"The Turaga wishes you to know that its ride to stare at Toa Lewa, and to put your weapons aside. For there is a Toa here to protect us all." The Matoran, Matoro translated. Apparently the medallions couldn't do so.

Teal'c nodded before resting his staff weapon down on the level behind him.

"Probably a good idea sir." The Major said as she unhooked her rifle.

O'Neill looked at Toa Lewa for several long moments as he mentally debated. It would be a good impression and Daniel was optimistic that they could possibly trade and become allies. These people weren't really that aggressive, well... The Matoran weren't. Tahu and a few of the other Toa didn't seem to like humans, leading Samantha to wonder back in the safety of Stargate Command if the Bionicle had had bad experiences.

Maybe it was times, but the air Toa let out a soft sound almost like a snore. He was still 'asleep.'

"Toa Lewa will not harm any of you." The last Turaga said in a rich voice as he walked over to the nearest human, Samantha. His eyes, orange with red ring irises and white centers, "The Toa are protectors of the Matoran." He rested a hand on the shoulder of Takua, who was the first of the Matoran to dart over to help the elder.

Teal'c was impressed of how the Matoran took care of their Turaga elders.

The red Turaga pointed at the relaxed giant, and then at the black and grey child that clutched the green armor as he truly sleep. "As long as you do not threaten them the Toa, and Kora, will protect you as well."

"We shouldn't trust them Vakama!" The tan and brown Onewa said, rapping his staff for attention, "For all we know they may have the Makuta's shadow sickness like the others did last time!"

"Er," Jackson started, or tried to.

"If they did," Nokama said calmly, holding up her free hand, "The Kora would have already converged on the wanders. And…" She motioned up wards, "The Kora of Air has not stirred, or have you old bagnahs forgot she was up there?"

All heads looked up.

Vakama and Whenua laughed and the Kora that was using her guilder as a bed barely shifted.

"I know Nokama has told you some of out story." Turaga Vakama said turning to the humans while giving Onewa a look, that was returned, "Please listen again to our story now that we are here," Vakama nodded at the sand pit that was framed by four posts.

Jack pulled himself up to the first level, sitting on the edge, he noted that several of the seated Matoran were leaning forward. They wanted to hear this too even though they probably heard it several hundred times. "I like stories," The man said smiling. Either way this was going to be intresting.


	11. The Kora

**Paradise ****Island**

Chapter Eleven: 

Kora

It was now clear why the Matoran liked to listen to the Turaga, even Toa Lewa put his nap on pause to open his eyes and watch as well. One Turaga had a marvelous voice, but once all six of them got into the flow it was… amazing.

It had been almost hypnotic listening to them. Not just to the humans but the Matoran as well, now it was no wonder they loved listening to their Turaga tell of their history even though they knew it by heart.

After, they had talked. Sadly, SG1 was unable to have that same 'magic' in their story and explanation o they were exploring. Major Cater had added, wisely as it turned out since after she explained they were mostly interested in allies as well as anything that was medical related. The Turaga in general seem to approve of this, Nokama and Matua in particular perked up.

It was decided. That is, after Turaga Matua had invited the humans to come to Le-Koro (one of the two villages that were experts in healing and healing herb, plants and even some stones) and a quick run back down to the Stargate as well as some time converting that SG1 would go to the village of air. It would take about a week, give or take to give Samantha and Daniel some time to gather samples as well as stories.

Matua ordered Lewa off, to get something called Gakkos ("Weren't those that four winged bird?" -Jack), but at the same time porously mentioned doctor had wandered off. He HAD been with Takua, but somewhere when they were walking around the outside of the temple a few over Matoran had all but stampeded by (apparently it was the off shift builders) running after a ball like stone. When they were gone, so was Takua, apparently dragged along with for what ever reason. The man wouldn't find out until later that it was really because the Chronicler was a well known Kolii player.

"So... wonder if I could get a guitar..." Tala's voice said, attracting Daniel's attention from wondering where on earth, or Mata Nui as the case was, his new friend had gone 'poof' to. He tilted his head to try and pinpoint where the voice had come from, there was a lot of greenery and streams around.

"Of course you'd be interested in that." Another voice, female but it had a rough almost gravely edge to it. Like something had happened to the vocal cords of the speaker.

"Just because you do not have squat of musical talent," Another voice, a light male tone, "Does not mean you can prod at Tala, Telem."

"Deni is right," a soft, gentle voice spoke up, "I've seen you enjoying her winter songs like the rest of us."

"Thank you Kara, earth sister." Tala said.

Jackson had eased closer to the voices. He wasn't the best at sneaking but he managed to do so with out stepping on a twig, splashing or tripping and the man peeked pas a screen of ferns with wide furans. Daniel saw a clearing beyond and five... no six Bionicle. All taller then him, and thus a Matoran, yet they were at least half the size of a Toa.

Kora.

All six of them, each of the Kora were the same color of their Toa and elements: Air, water, fire, stone, ice and earth.

Tala was yawning where she was lounging back against a log. Her feet were propped up on one of her twin battle shields, the other one was on her left side with in reach. For all the world looking like the most comfortable person on the island. She probably was too.

The blue for of the water Kora had his head resting on his ice sister's right leg, with his own legs up to the knees in one of the many hundreds of streams that slithered through and crisscrossed Ga-Wahi. Deni was taking full advantage of the coolness coming off Tala, "We should not get our hopes up for things we may never get."

"Deni's right." Another Kora said, she had red armor (darker then Tahu's) with black joints and under tones instead of grey. She was stretched out on her front with arms crossed and chin resting on one of the forearms, "We have been doing just fine since we came, and since we resealed the barrier to the human world."

"Remember what the Turaga said." Kara's soft voice said. The black and dark grey earth Kora was surprisingly one of the two smallest. Kara was sitting up with her feet pressed flat against each other, the Bionicle couldn't really cross their legs into the lotus positions.

"Oh _yes_," Telem's gravelly voice came from one of the tallest Kora with tan and orange armor. She was leaning back against a rock that was a mini bolder with her ankles crossed, right over left over. She had another, smaller stone in hand and was carving it into something with a tool that cut into the rock like it was nothing more then wood.

"Are all my Kora siblings coming to Le-Koro?" The last Kora asked where she was also lounging, more like Lewa had been but on a tree branch. She had the same vibrant green armor as the air Toa and light grey undertones. Like Kara she was one of the two smallest, and had the largest of the tool/weapons. The glider looked like a boomerang and apparently was far lighter then it look for the Air Kora was holding it with one hand, swinging the glider a little underneath her branch.

Tala laughed, "Of course we're coming Lee!"

"Parties at Le-Koro are always fun," the fire Kora said grinning in the Bionicle way as she sat up, dragging a shield like 'board' into her lap and inspecting it.

"'Fun?'" Telem echoed and gave an un-lady-like snort of amusement, The other Kora all smiled as they shared a moment of memory.

"We would not miss it." Kara assured her air sister.

"By the way," the fire Kora turned partly, scanning around, "You can come out, no need to lurk."

Daniel winced as he was found out and shifted before coming into the clearing, "I'm sorry..."

"Ooo, one of the newbie's!" Telem grinned, "Nice Storm, you're getting better." Storm smiled as Deni sat up all the Kora shifting to see the human that was hovering at the edge of the clearing and looking like he might retreat.

"Sit down," Tala called, waving a hand beside her fire sister. "It's easier to snoop when you're involved in the conversation."

Telem and Storm burst into laughter at that and Jackson smiled, sensing no real hostility. "I was exploring and herd you." The man explained.

"And you decided to snoop," Tala grinned, "Don't worry we do it to the Turaga and Toa all the time."

"So unless it's a secret meeting then we have no right to be up set." Storm said slinging her long shield over a shoulder. There was a click as it retracted into itself to half length before distorting and vanishing into the Bionicle deep-space that was like and unlike subspace.

"I'm assuming you're the Kora the Matoran have been talking about?" Daniel asked sitting beside the fire spirit with legs crossed.

"Yes, I'm Storm," the red Kora said and motioned to each of her sisters and brother. "There are Deni," The water Kora waved, "Tala-"

"_Atta'ki tii._" Tala said and waved as well.

Jackson tilted his head focusing on the sound of the words as well as noting the translation stone didn't do anything, "What?"

"Laungege of the birds, it's what Turaga Nuju speaks," Tala explained, "It's the equivalent of the Le-Koro treespeak of-"

"Highgood greatings!" Lee butted in laughing as she dropped her glider and flipped around her perch before dropping down on the over sized boomerang. "I am Lee, air Kora."

Daniel smiled at the shift of energies in the Kora from 'I'm tired and lazy right now...' to 'No one can catch me!' in less then five seconds, "It's nice to meet you, I think it was you I saw in the temple...?"

Lee nodded, "Was sleepresting," she admitted, "Kora of air and stone were in far north, endpoint of the island." She gave Telem a flat look.

"Lee had to fly Telem back to get her arm fixed." Kara smiled at something in memory before inclining her head to Jackson, "I am Kara, Kora of earth."

"I'm Telem by processes of elimination." The stone Kora said in her gravelly voice.

"If you don't mind me saying so," Jackson said looking at the easiness of this group, "You're not as..."

"Hostel as a wild fire?" Storm said with a knowing smile.

"Stubborn as a rock?" Telem offered with the same look. All the Kora had that look really, grinning at each other and the human.

"I was hoping for something more diplomatic but those work." Daniel admitted, finding himself smiling back.

"We can sense the inner energies in people and Rahi." Kara explained as she stood to catch a several fruits that were being dropped down by Lee, who had scrambled nimbly up the tree.

"It is a trait in all Kora," Deni added catching a blue-ish green colored fruit and biting into it, enjoying it, "As well as being able to drain out the Shadows from things...well, except our selves."

Daniel saw a few of the Kora glancing over at Tala. The young ice spirit's expression didn't change even when she nabbed her tossed fruit out of the air, "Shadows?"

"The Makuta's sickness," Tala said before any of the other Kora, "There's several really but that's beside the point. We can track who is infected wither in inner energies or in," She reached up and tapped her mask. "That's why we're here, the Turaga wanted to make sure you and your companions weren't infected any way. Makuta has used humans before."

"I feel loved." Jackson muttered, excepting a fruit that was tossed at his chest. He eyed it before nibbling, finding it more tangy then sweet.

"You are all fine, Lee is the most sensitive with Tala, and she slept through that meeting." Storm reassured, reaching over to pat the shorter human's shoulder. Her hand was warm, but a comfortable warm not too hot like the man would later be discover with Tahu who radiated heat.

"Now, tell us where you come from and we'll tell you about the Wahis." Telem half demanded as she scooted closer.


	12. Into the Air

**Paradise ****Island**

Chapter Twelve: 

Into the Air

"Holy-" Colonel O'Neill saw the Ga-Matoran child turned partly from watching at his voice and look up at him. He _just_ barely caught himself, "-Cheeseburgers."

Major Carter gave a soft snort of amusement but didn't comment.

The young Ga-Matoran, not taller then a seven year old shrugged at the strange word and turned back in time to cheer as Gali scored an evident goal. The elder water spirit as well as the Toa of earth laughed and knocked knuckles together in victory. Although, Onua as one of the biggest and strongest didn't use his full strength like he would have to few of his brothers. But that didn't seem to bother them as Gali was swiped up and then flipped over Onua's shoulder and darted back around him for the next round.

"This is Kolii." Turaga Vakama said with a chuckle, answering the question Teal'c had asked before the group had come around the corner to the out side of the Great Temple and the game that was in full swing.

Kopaka, Gali and Lewa were facing off as the elder spoke. In order Pohatu, Onua and Tahu were guarding the space between two poles. The hunched form of Pohatu (it had to be him since SG1 had seen all but the Toa of Stone) had Kopaka's wide shield. Onua and Tahu also had shields too, but they looked like they were made of cooled lava or once melted rock and overlaid with wood for the frame and hand grip.

All had staffs, like the one Takua had only on a larger scale.

What looked like a very daring black and orange Matoran came forward, holding what at first looked like a ball. On a closer look the ball was made of two sets of rather deadly looking as well as slightly hocked claws. Put together they were a kind of ball, one that was probably the only thing to stand the level of abuse it was taking from the Toa.

"That is the Kolii ball," Vakama explained, "Made from Pohatu's climbing claws. There are two per team, and up to six teams can play in a match."

"Six?" Samantha echoed, watching the Matoran do a rather impressive under handed throw and dart back into the crowed with cheers from others to encourage him to hurry. She did not fail to note that all though the Toa could have already easily leapt to get the 'ball,' Lewa especially, they were watching the Matoran as much as the ball. The moment the smaller Bionicle was in the grasp of safety, out of the ring, they sprang back into action.

"Yes." The Turaga nodded.

"Do you not have six different villages?" Teal'c asked, tarring his gaze away from the move that let Kopaka steal the Kolii ball from his two more nimble siblings and race to Onua with the ball in the curved scoop part of the staff. He wasn't sure if seeing things that big move that fast or gracefully was ever going to get old, as the saying was. He thought the saying was…

"Yes," Vakama said again, "Kolii matches are often a good way to settle disagreements between the villages when they come up."

"And good sport!" Onewa added, calling over his shoulder but not taking his eyes off the game. The Turaga of stone rapped his own staff on the ground for attention, "Lewa! Feet on the ground! No levitating!"

"Brother!" four voices yelled.

"I told you not to get caught!" That came from Tahu, who was on Lewa's team.

Lewa, now in possession of the ball, fled from Gali and Kopaka, out right cackling in glee as he did so.

And then it started to rain.

Jack blinked, craning his head back to look up at the sky, "I'll bet my ridiculous pay check that it was bright and sunny five seconds ago."

"It was," Jaller assured, grinning he pointed down at the Toa.

"Gali, Lewa, Kopaka and Tahu are making a mess of the weather." Turaga Vakama said, "Water, air, heat and coolness…" he trailed off and looked at the humans pointedly like any teacher.

"Tropical storm," The Major said feeling a cool breeze turn hot and then warm. The already humid air becoming thicker on top of the falling rain, "Do they do this often?" She asked, ,turning away from the game that hadn't slowed other then to start up anther round, the last one going to Kopaka and Pohatu.

Turaga Vakama shook his head, "Gali and Lewa are often called when a place is too dry. Or when the mountain Ihu needs fresh snow they will join with Kopaka."

"So your Toa, your living 'elementals,' make all your rainstorms for you?" Samantha asked, attention now fully diverted from the game at this prospect.

"Not all," Turaga Nokama corrected, "Only the most spectacular ones, like those that are needed to cleanse the land. Such as felling old or standing dead trees," She added as an example.

Jack shrugged a little, "Makes sense." He smiled at the only human woman before looking up at a new sound. "Whoa."

"Quickstop Toabrothers!" Lewa called sliding to a stop and with a gust of wind managed not to face plant into Kopaka's shield that Pohatu had just braced against. The stone giant peeked over the edge and stood as up right has his hunched over body would let him.

"Lewa?" Kopaka himself had Gali running into his side and managed not only to catch himself be his sister as well. He frowned and was about to say something when he heard it at the same time Onua spoke up.

"Gakos," The elder earth spirit, who had extremely good hearing along with Lewa, and pointed.

"Our rides farwanders!" Matau limped over with out his staff and badge of office in hand. One of his shadowing aids had it clutched in both hand and hovering near to give it over. Without its support Matau had an odd sideways gate, what ever had injured his hip had happened a long time ago and he was well used to moving with or with out support. "You like highflying yes?"

Jack noted that there was a gleam in the green elder's eyes that mad him wary. "You... ride these things?"

"There's several Rahi that are trainable." Jaller said and motioned down and over to the right were there was another kind of Rahi half curled up and looking like a giant crab. "That's Pewku, Takua's Ussal crab."

The chronicler himself was on Pewku's wide and mostly flat back, more or less on hands and knees as he used his Rahi's back as a sort of desk, hurriedly writing something out and listening to Whenua talk of something. He was completely involved in what ever it was and getting it written down that he didn't notice what was going on around him.

"Remind you of someone?" Jack asked Samantha under his breath and getting a smile from the woman.

"Come!" Matau called, finally taking his staff, but holding it up and scooting over to the four winged Gako birds with more speed then any of the other Turaga have showed. Either he was younger or just in better shape. The Turaga looked back after stopping by one of the biomechanical 'birds,' Motioning Samantha to come closer.

At the same time wind surged and a green form, smaller then Lewa but still bigger them human or Matoran flipped over her glider and landed neatly. The large boomeranging like guilder folded into itself, at the same time splitting in the middle to hock up on the air Kora's back, making it look like she hand stumpy wings. "Highgood greetings!" she sang out, yes _sang_. The Le-Koro greeting was echoed back by the Matoran, who also had a lyrical edge to their words. The young air spirit turned as Dr. Jackson came into view fallowed by two more Kora.

Tala diverted away from watching the impending this-is-how-you-ride-a-Gacko-bird-lessen (in truth it was really like: sit down like _this_ and HANG ON!) at a sharp whistle that came from Kopaka. The elder ice elemental, having taken his shield back grasped his Kora's shoulder and lead her out of the range of the Translation stones the humans had. As an added precaution he spoke softly in a Toa dialect the medallions wouldn't know. The alien words were spoken at a rapid fire speed on top of all that. The conversation, or report, or even mission orders (or all of the above) took five, maybe six minutes total.

Teal'c was the one who noticed it, and only because Tahu had drifted closer to listen and nod his approval. He watched Tala toss off a two finger salute and had just enough time to wonder if an alien clutches would have the same meaning for such a gesture as the humans when his attention was returned to the lessen. Mostly thanks to that Matau's staff smacked his shoulder.

"Hardlisten!" The elder scolded, "You much quicklearn this, unless you wish to fall off, hmm?"

"I would not wish to do that." Teal'c assured and paid attention as Matau have limped, half skipped almost in his odd way back to Major Carter.

"You farwandering will be seconds." The dark green Turaga said, pulling Samantha closer, "It will not hurtharm you." He said patting her shoulder not unlike a grandfather before pointing up at the Matoran that was sitting in the forward possession of the 'saddle.' He guided the woman's hand up to a bar that separated the two dips in the saddle, "Griptight, use wing base for foot hold…yes. Now uppull!"

Samantha heaved herself up, singing her left leg up and over. It reminded her of the few times she had gotten onto a horse. The Rahi sung it's head up, pointing that long beak at the sky and tilting it's head to get a look at it's new passenger, but didn't shift under her. It must have been well trained for all it did was give a trilling sound and remained still on hind legs as well as the bracing, stiff four wings.

The Lee-Matoran in front of her chuckled, using a foot to rub at the base of one of the wing joints, "Good girl." He told the Rahi, leaning forward and using his knuckles to scratch the top of the Gacko's head in add affection. He twisted around, propping an elbow and forearm on the dividing bar between the two seats of the saddle, "Highgood greetings, I am Kren." He offered the closed fist of his other hand.

The Major, having already picked up on this, lightly tapped her knuckles to his. It was definitely different then a handshake, but seemed to survey the same ting. Or a 'high five' as well, "Just call me Sam."

Kren smiled, "Can you griptight or do you want the safety strap Samfriend?"

Samantha watched Colonel O'Neill fall off his assigned mount when it decided it didn't want the funny looking human on its back by taking off despite the yell of the pilot. "I'll take the strap."

The Le-Matoran grinned, turning around in his seat and leaned over the bar, reaching around the human to get at the pack behind her. It was like saddle bag. "Awkward hug?" Kren snickered, for it did look like they were hugging before he looped a vine like strap around the woman's waist and attached it to the bar. It was about four inches wide and half an inch thick, but it felt more like plant matter then leather. He pointed down, "Feet here, and here." He said agusting where Samantha had her feet braced, "Wings need room to beat!"

"Okay, what else?"

"Griptight!" That was all the warning she got before Kren flipped back around and used his feet to thump twice on the Gacko's neck. It crouched on its hind legs before launching upwards. The duel sets of wings were like a humming bird's or helicopter's blades, they hummed as they beat too fast to see, lifting the Rahi and her two passengers up into the air easily.

Samantha yelped, reflexively gripped tightening on the bar and with one arm around the Matoran's side. She looked down after the initial shock of taking off.

She grinned.


	13. Into the Jungle

**Paradise ****Island**

Chapter Thirteen: 

Into the Jungle

There are many experiences a person can have in there lifetime. Jack had a ton more then the normal human of any world. He was destined to have another ton or two in the coming years.

Yet riding on the four-winged Rahi known as a gacko was... it was an adrenaline that even surpassed the first flight Jack had in a jet fighter, or a glider. The only thing holding you onto the saddle was a single strap around your middle and a bar to hang onto. The Matoran had nothing on and were constantly leaning to one side or another with their gackos to get them to turn. But the feeling of raw wind blasting in your face as the living creature flew over the land at a high speed was...

"Yeeehah!"

The Le-Matoran pilot in front of th human glanced back over his shoulder, "Muchfun, yes?" he called.

Before the man could respond he ducked reflexively as they were buzzed by the green colored Toa. Lewa was flying on his own, his mask glowing and the wind moving with him, or fallowing the Toa. The smaller Lee shot by on the other side, clinging to her boomerang shaped guilder and laughing as she rode on her brothers wake of wind.

The two Air spirits were weaving in and out of each others paths as well as the gackos. Lewa flipped one of his long slender swords to the forearm and took a swipe at his air-sister, trying grab her. The Kora in turn yelled in a mock fear as she swung her legs to the right, bracing her feet on the side of the glider. As a result she made a sharp turn with Lewa Darting after.

This whole time the Matoran Chronicler, Takua, was clinging with all the force of a limpet. Looking like he was having more then a little fun, even encouraging the Toa to catch the Kora.

"Where are everyone else?" O'Neill yelled over the wind at the pilot. There had only been four gackos, to take SG1, plus the two air spirits and Tauka.

"Wiseold Turaga and other Toahearoes with Kora will teleport from the Kini-Nui to Lewa's Kini." The Matoran, Tamaru, said turning the Rahi a little and giving an order to climb as the tops of a different kinds of trees then what was in Ga-Wahi, or even what was right under them, came into sight.

"So they're meeting us there?"

"Yes Jackfriend!" Tamaru pointed ahead of them, "Looksee, this is Le-Wahi!"

The land changed from mountain side to a massive, healthy rain forest. The was like no other forest on any other world because the average tree was easily as tall, if not taller then a sky scraper. It wasn't just a few dozen trees, but several hundreds of trees of several dozen square miles. The forest stretched out to glittering sea waters in the distance in front of them. To the left, the southeast, it tapered off well before it came to the volcano range they had buzzed over, Ta-Wahi it was called. The forest also swung to the west to another beach and then north to the base of another snow-capped mountain.

A flock of a least twenty gacko birds rose up as the ones that had passengers passed over the first trees. The 'wild' Rahi weren't so wild for more then a few had saddles on them. The gackos were trilling and calling to each other as Lewa came back with his Kora. The air Toa rolled almost lazily as he took the lead again. Takua was still hanging on, he hand moved up son so he had his arms around Lewa's neck and their heads almost even.

Denial reached out and tried to catch one of the leaves of fllowers that were flying around in all the wind make by the gackos as well as Toa Lewa (Lee just seemed to be gliding). He had see Samantha doing so and the Matoran pilot Kern was more the happy to dart around after the leaves and flowers. So it seemed that the gacko was enjoying the exercise as well as Samantha gathered her samples.

It was an amazing flight, and time seemed to have warped. Seeming to stand still even as it rushed past. All too seen they were depending into the gigantic forest. The 'wild' gackos leaving to home in on some red fruits while those with passengers weaved over and around branches of all sizes from as thick as a truck, to Lewa and to the size of a man's arm.

Le-Wahi was like and unlike any rainforest Denial had been in…only _bigger_. And what visible animals were just as biomechanical as the Matoran. The air, despite the thick, hot humidity was clean. As in no airborne pollutantances.

Then Dr. Jackson spotted the buildings in the trees. Of course, the ground, what he could see of it was swampy with pools and a glimpse of a river. A moment later he saw that many of these buildings weren't in the best of shape. From being half destroyed to being taken apart to the bare bones of the structures. There had once been many boardwalks crisscrossing around and once connecting all the buildings, not there were just rims.

Denial leaned forward, tapping his pilot's shoulder for attention, pointing at the ruins they were now passing over, "What happened here?" he yelled over the wind.

The Matoran, Lako, looked at the pointed fingers and realized what his passenger meant. He visibly shuttered, "Scarybad darktimes before our Toaheroes came, and the Bhorak…" Lako shuttered again, twitched at something that had to be a traumatizing experience.

"I'm sorry," Dr. Jackson started.

Lako looked back and shook his head, "It is goodright now Danielfriend," he waved his hands at everything, "This is where Ke-Koro used to be. We Le-Matoran moved our Korahome with some help from our firespitting and stonebashing brothers to Ta-Koto and Po-Koro."

Well that made sense.

"Where is it now—oh cool." Daniel cut himself off as the intricate, tree house like village of Le-Koro came into sight as they rounded on the skyscraper sized trees.

Le-Koro was more sprawled out then Ga-Koro by the looks of it, but then Ga-Koro was well hidden. It was half way up and on two trees, connected by any number of different types of bridges. Compared to the ruins of the old village, this place was as vibrant as the air Toa that now shot ahead. A cheer rose up as the Matoran of the village spotted Lewa and his Kora as they cam spiraling in.

The pilots didn't have to guide their gackos that much. The birds knew where to go as they landed on a wide, clear platform like landing pad.

Kren turned, grasping Major Carter's arm and sung her down after undoing the safety strap. The woman dropped into the waiting arm of another Le-Matoran. Some had darted out to help the humans dismount. Oddly it was Teal'c who fell off this time, staggering into the helping hands of two grinning Matoran.

"I will seekfind you Samfriend and have your flowers." Kren said as his gacko shifted, ready to take off again.

Whoever was holding the woman was backing up away from the twitching wings of the Rahi. "Promis!" Samantha said, knowing full well that many of the medical advancements today came from plants of rain forests and other places.

"Heartpromise!" Kren called before leaving to another part of the village.

"Okay, that's just cheeting." Jack said as he spotted the Major in the arms of the Marotan, bridle style.

Samantha and the Le-Matoran blinked at each other. The Matoran shrugged, "This strangeweird creature is like water-sister." Was his explanation.

"This 'strange-weird' human can stand." Samantha said before being set down back on her feet.

The Matoran chuckled, loosely holding the Major by the arm as the tall Bionicle guided her across the landing platform, "Come, Turaga Matau is waiting for you."

* * *

Queen's notes: Hi there! Thank you for all who have been kind enough to review! Sorry it took some time for this chapter but I was only able to do it on paper. n.n; The Makuta WILL show up! When SG1 gets into the Onu-Koro highway XD But right now I'm working up to one of the famous parties and the dreaded after affects… XD!!

Oh! AND…

Ryu433, because you are such a wonderful reviewer I'm working in a Kolii match between the Toa and Kora just for you!

GateToa, the same for you with a…er…XD Longer then planned mini-ark with Makuta. And to be honest I am debating on doing a thing for you where SG1 comes back and meets Mata' in Toa form in another cross over story, but that would be like a million spoilers for the Kora saga n.n;;;;

I might do more bonuses chapters or requests if people just review about what they like and hope to see.


	14. Le Koro

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Fourteen: 

Le-Koro

Matua's home was half dug into the great tree and half build out of it like a cabin. Most of the structures of Le-Koro was like this, though there was some that where stand alone or clusters of tree houses in the branches. There were winding boardwalks all over, connecting everything. Below were safety nets, many of them scattered in different levels and under some of the bridges.

There were some cables, looking more like braided cords, in a few stations. They proved to be connected to elevators of sorts that dropped down to the roots of these massive trees for those not so adept at scampering up bark and/or branches. There was one that lifting higher up to another large structure that was both elaborate and simple at the same time.

It was pointed out that that was Lewa's Kini, the temple of air where the Matoran honored their guardian spirit, the element he represented as well as the Great Spirit. Lewa apparently had a smaller Suva as well that could be considered his home, but in all honestly the Toa of air and his Kora rested just anywhere that was comfortable, not just in the Suva (though Lewa did keep some small treasures and offerings he favored there).

But back to the home of Le-Koro's Turaga. It had several wide open windows to let the breeze in and out. The inside proved to be more then big enough for several humans or Matoran (or Turaga as the case was since the elders where talking there) with some space over head. Yet no Tao would ever fit inside, maybe one of the smaller Kora.

It also proved to be quite full, so to say, with the walls that had carvings in them as well painting of so many different things. There were also hand carving of the same things and more that were made of wood and stone. Some things were a hybrid of both, as well as metal that gleamed in the sunlight.

On the windowsills were charging light stones. Almost no space was wasted and left bare, even the ceiling! That had an assortment of weapons that were fixed up there. Those were referred to as 'Toa Tools' rather then weapons as they looked like.

Matua, with his almost hopping gate with out his staff poked his head out of the main door, a hide flap curled up like on the windows.

"Ah! Brothers, sister, our farwandering guests have arrived. Here, come." he stepped back to grab his staff and motioned the other Turaga, a sign or two with his free hand that only the other elders seemed to understand before returning his attention back SG1. "I have given call, you have a homecabin to yourselves in your stay at my homeKoro."

"Thank you very much Turaga Matau." Denial said.

"You have muchfun on Gackoride?" The elders eyes twinkled in that way that showed who ever was a troublemaker at heart. Or at the least in his youth!

"Oh yes I'd say that was fun." O'Neill said, but was sure that if he ever went for a ride like that again he was going to have a much better seatbelt.

There was a soft, clicking chirp from inside Matua's home and Nuju could be seen poking Vakama with his staff. The white colored elder looking highly amused at something as Vakama waved him off. Shaking her head at her brothers, Nokama hobbled out to fallow behind Matua as he started off, both their aids hovering like vividly colored shadows.

"Whoa," Jackson said as he saw what could very well be a game of tag above them as they passed under branch. Le-Matoran were fast and nimble as they darted around, leapt and raced after each other.

"Leaf-runners," Nokama said fallowing the man's gaze, "Racers." She added to clarify.

"The Le-Matoran are very swift." Vakama said as he came out to join them.

"Come friends, I shall show you your homehut for your stay in Le-Koro and then," Matua almost chirped in his happiness as he announced, "You can join my Korohome's celebration of life, we have all the Toaheroes and Korasiblings here!"

"Samfriend!" The Le-Matoran Kren popped almost out of no where. Not limited like a human body he easily jumped up the ten feet from the lower board walk and was now crouched on the rail in front of the group. The Matoran's green and blue coloring both stood out and blended him into the background. He was smiling in that Bionicle way, a pack on her back over one shoulder. Kren swung it around to hold it out by a cord, "For you!"

"Oh, thank you Kren," Samantha said recovering from the Matoran's sudden appearance, taking the bag. It was much lighter then it looked and after a quick peek inside to make sure it was filled with her gathered samples, the woman grinned herself.

"Kren," Matua motioned his villager down, leaning on him when the tall Matoran promptly came. "You will help show Le-Koro."

"Yes Turaga Matua." Kren bobbed his head.

Vakama and Nokama exchanged amused looks at this before the elder of the water village glanced up as she spotted blue on another level farther up. The elder didn't even flinch as the Kora of water launched himself into open air, but Turaga Nokama did hear something her mask could only translate to 'something very rude' from one of the humans.

Deni managed two full flips before he dropped with a bounce or two into a safety net. Two Matoran were already there, laughing as they were bounced as a result.

Matua shrugged when eyes turned on him, "Netjumping is muchfun. And Kora still have some programming left over." He added walking again.

"Programming?" The Major asked, trying to peer over the edge of the walk way and at the same time keeping up. Samantha's new pack slung over her shoulder much the same way it had been with Kren.

"The Kora were...disguised to hide them." Turaga Vakama said, not feeling SG1 was ready to know the full back story of the Kora just yet. Apparently the other two elders thought the same and Kren was too keen for his own good at times, this time though he thankfully kept his mouth closed. "The Kora were programmed to do," Vakama motioned to the open air, "Such things to trigger high amounts of certain chemicals in the body."

"Adrenalin is the word of yours for one," Nokama put in, "It started the process of them regaining their true Bionicle bodies back."

"Wait!" Kren's arm shot out and he almost cloths-lined Teal'c, they were at one of the many bridges. Unknowing (maybe) that he'd cut off any questions from forming, the Matoran pulled out a spear like and unlike what Jaller and his guard had. This was a bit longer once it extended and a little lighter. He looked at Matua warily and poked the bridge without stepping on it, after a few thumbs he deemed it safe and walked out on it.

Nokama laughed, slapping her green brother on the arm, "Your Matoran are wise to your tricks now brother!"


	15. Spin Dance is muchfun!

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Fifteen: 

Spin Dance is muchfun!

Evidently, partiers were much harder to _stop_ here then they were to start. After SG1's basic tour and shown to their shared, temporary home for the stay in Le-Koro, Turaga Matua announced to one and all that the celebration of life was now beginning!

As the large sun of this word sank into the distant ocean beyond the far point of the island Mata Nui that could be seen from this angle, drums started up. Not the massive bellowing message drums far up at the very top of the two trees that housed the village but 'smaller' ones that ranged in size from manageable for a human to a Toa. The wide platforms that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter had thought were landing pads turned out to really be dance floors. There were several all through out the Le-Koro and the Matoran all but pounced on them or took advantage of the now clear boardwalks.

Energy seemed to _vibrate_ in the air as much as the complex music that took no time at all to start up after the main drums.

Jack did a double take as the white form of Kopaka, armor now stained with reflected firelight as he stepped half over the humans onto the wide dance floor. The man would have bet a year's salary that _that_ particular Toa would never go near a dance floor. But the elder ice spirit did, grasping Tala's hand and sliding into a dance that didn't seem to be moving to the beat that was heard.

Tala, no longer as white like her brother, had seamlessly fallen into step as they moved. One hand holding the other's hand as well as clasping forearms on the other side. It wasn't a close, swaying dance like humans did, or ever that fast pace of a 'twirler' the Le-Matoran loved. This was…something else.

"Jaller they are going to do the spin dance!" Takua yelled, popping up out of the crowd, standing on what had to the shoulders of a friend and waving arms to get his best friend's attention, "Come on!"

With an apology to Teal'c, the Caption of the Ta-Koro guard abandoned the Jaffa and hurried over. The two Ta-Matoran grinned as the music changed to a beat like the twirler, that first dance of the even, but _faster_. There were yelps, laughs and sequels of delight as the dancers rearranged themselves to the new dance.

A cheer rose up, drawing attention and Jack was in time to see Tala, mid air with her arms crossed and twisting herself in circles. Just as it seemed she was about to fall to the ground, Kopaka swept past, catching his sister, swinging her up and tossing the Kora back into the air. They weren't the only ones, Matoran where doing this too. It seemed like the bigger of pair was the tosser, and it didn't matter if it was male or female. The Ga-Matoran were the most favored for the partner to be tossed though since they were smaller and lighter then most all.

The whole point seemed to be spinning around each other, tossing a partner up, swing or spin, toss and do it all over again. Many fell over, laughing as they did so, caught up in the energy of it all as much as the addictive music.

"Watch out!" Pohatu warned as he swept by the humans, a giggle fitting Kara in his arms. At the same time Lewa and Gali spun onto the dance floor on the other side to keep up their tradition of one 'proper' spin dance together. The dance was also a bonding thing for the Toa and Kora, helping to strengthen trust in each other as well as an unexpected training exercise for agility.

"Samfriend!" Kren popped out of no where, as he and all other seemed Le-Matoran seemed to have a habit of doing, "Dance with me?"

Samantha, having almost jumped out of her skin somehow saved her plate of colorful fruits that had been given to her as well as the three other men, "I'm not sure if that's a good idea..." That was a lot of metal out there after all!

"Come, spindance is _muchfun!_" Kren insisted and moving with that nimble speed that all from his village had he relieved the Major of her plate and had her up and spinning around onto the dance floor, "Time for quickquick learning!"

"What just happened?" Daniel asked, blinking after where the two had been before being absorbed into the dance.

"I think Sam was kidnapped." Jack said.

"Major Carter dose not appear to be a hostage." Teal'c said, he paused at a scream but realized it came form a Bionicle chest, not a human one (I.e. it was loader and had a faint metallic sub-tone to it). The scream was more of a yell of protest as a Ga-Matoran slipped out of the fingers and grasp of her partner and fell. She was quickly pulled back to her feet and vanished into the dance.

Samantha was dizzy, rapidly becoming high on adrenaline and was having the time of her life. Something about this dance was noticeable different being _in_ it rather then just watching. It helped that Kren was more use to this as well as being as strong as he was, giving the woman something to hang onto. He was nice enough to not toss her up…at first. After a few times though she had the hang of it.

"Samfriend," the Le-Matoran said, half yelling over the music, "Beatchange coming, let go and spin back to find next partner!"

"What?" did he just say what she thought he said?

The music changed.

"Now!" Kren broke away before half jumping, half twirling into the crowed.

"Ack!" Samantha did one turn around before smacking into something. At first she though she ran into someone's back, for there were several other yelps in the controlled confusion of finding a different partner for the next set of the dance. It wasn't a Matoran's back she ran into, it was a leg. A very large leg.

The Major looked up and Lewa grinned back down at her.

If she didn't have it before, Samantha now most definitely had the feeling this was going to be one _interesting_ night as the Toa stooped down.

Takua face planted out of the dance flour, holstered himself back to his feet just incase he might be ran over. The Chronicler looked around, confused and wondering what on the island happened to get him out of his favorite dance. He shrugged, staggered like a drunk for a moment before running into a large red hand.

"Easy Chronicler," Tahu warned at the same time he saw the look on the Ta-Matoran's face. The fire elemental sighed, and then grinned. He had been planning on only one dance but, why not?


	16. Afterwards

**Paradise****Island**

Chapter Sixteen: 

Afterwards

"These guys can really through a party." Jack said as he finally found the 'hut' SG1 had been assigned.

'Hut' was what the Bionicle called it, Jack thought it was more like a large cabin. Partly dug into the skyscraper sized tree and partly built out side of it. There was a table, several shelves for storing and displaying wooden and stone carvings…

Jack wasn't that surprised to see Daniel with several of these in the cubby bed on the far back wall. There were six of these cubbies really. Long and wide enough to comfortably fit any Matoran, or human as the case was now. Someone, probably Kren (or any Le-Matoran) had taken the time to put cuisine like mattresses in.

The Bionicle could and would be as happy on hard rock as soft moss. They could, and did sleep or rest just about anywhere. Thankfully they knew that humans couldn't. So, the mattresses were filled with cleaned soft grass and moss.

Jack gave and inward pout over the fact that there was no pillows. For all of the two seconds it took to see how Samantha was using her jacket as a pillow. He was happy then as he pulled off a sideways flop into the closest cubby.

"I can't believe they are still going at it." The Major said using a bare foot to point at the hide flap over the door. It was apparently too much effort to use her hands. She was in a tank top and slacks, comfortable but still useable 'just in case.'

"Furchuur reffrrinance!" Daniel said, now face down, he words were as muffled as they were slurred. "If its pink…donna, _do not drink it_." He lifted his head to stress that before gratefully going to sleep at last.

Teal'c chuckled softly from where he was sitting and listening to his teammates and friends. He rearranged the small light stones he had been given. The Matoran didn't have candles, the closest thing would have been a small torch. The slender light stones were clean, didn't burn, and were just bright enough but not so much to disturb the three sleepers.

The place they were in had been the only free 'hut' for gests. Apparently the visiting Matoran had bunked in with friends, or were still in the party that showed no sign of letting up until tomorrow. The Turaga had moved off to Matua's cabin a while ago.

It wouldn't be until later the SG1 found out that the Toa, and Kora, had just found a quite place to rest.

Lewa and Lee had drifted off in a mid air game of tag before vanishing in the night. More then likely to sleep off The-Pink-Drinks that had appeared in the celebrations, yet somehow everyone had wisely kept the sight of said dirks well away from any Turaga's keen eyes.

Tahu strode to a dark, sheltered place in the higher levels of Le-Kora. It was his favorite place in the village of air for in the morning he would get the sun's heat as well as a beautiful view of his volcano home. Storm had fallowed in his wake after a few minutes and curled up under her brother's arm.

Gali too had a favored place. Inside of the great trees there were clean pools of water filled with those bioluminescent ferns. These places had been made to farm the ferns, it was both cool and warm as well as quiet. Deni had climbed up into on of the many vine woven hammocks around, leaving Gali alone under water.

Both Pohatu and Onua, being the sear largest, had simply found any place that was long enough and strong enough to hold them. They were back to back on one of the deserted dance floors, talking in soft tones and letting anyone cuddle close. Somehow Kara and Telem got mixed up and the former was curled up in Pohatu's lap and the latter under Onua's right arm.

One Toa remained awake for a long time, more used to a night schedule even before the humans had come. Kopaka's pale form move with whisper soft sounds, if any, as he carefully inspected everything in the village from where his siblings were to how the Guard and Gacko Force were.

When the spirit of ice stopped his patrol he was on one of the highest points in Le-Koro. Lewa's temple of air, but not his air-brother's Suva. That was just out side of the village.

Kopaka watched the energy flow and form as his Kora teleported in. Tala's form, curled up with extended shields, was suspended for a moment before dropping. She rolled and bounced back up to her feet, stretching out stiff joints.

"Sister?"

"Oyff…" Tala held her stretch a moment longer before coming over, lightly tapping her knuckles to Kopaka's in greeting. "Ko-Koro is fine brother." She smiled a small amused smile, "Ya' were right, da avalanche has blocked off da old Bohrok paths."

Kopaka nodded, "I thought as much," his voice was that soft, calm tone again.

The ice Kora tilted her head, looking up into a blue eye and red optic. Her own lenses shifting and changed, "Hmm, ya… You aren't stressed anymore."

Kopaka quirked up and eye ridge.

Tala grinned.

The elder ice elemental shook his head as he turned away. Kopaka paused only long enough to let his ice-sister jump up and settle on his back, arms around his neck, "Did you see to the other villages?"

"It's funny," Tala said settling down with her head next to her brother's, "Both Kapura _an'_ Hafu accused me of stealing Pohatu's Kakama Nuva."

Taking that as an affirmative, Kopaka gave a soft smile. "Good girl."

Tala gave a clear Rahi-like clicking sound her mask had a faint glow to it as she did so, getting a snort in return before Kopaka found the spot that had wind coming from the north. It was wonderfully cold, though not as cold as the Toa was physically.

The Kora still dropped down and settled with feet pressed together and hands on knees. "I warned Onu-Koro like you said."

Kopaka, sitting much the same leaned over. Turning the younger ice spirit to face him Kopaka leaned down and pressed his mask to Tala's, the Bionicle equivalent of a kiss. "I am pound of you, my little ice Toa."

Tala blinked and then smiled as she took and enjoyed the rare, open show of affection. She knew perfectly well that it would be a long time before getting something like this again and so she smiled in that slightly odd, Bionicle way, her optic shuttering closed and her eye turned into that dim line that meant it too was 'closed.'

Rather abruptly, and rather rudely to be honest, something _snapped_ and there was an instantaneous reaction in the Kora. What happened can never truly be described in human terms, we simply don't have the words for it yet. In essence it was like sensing something you where made to track down. It was an urge that was intergraded and programmed into the Kora to _hunt_ the living darkness and do everything they could to wipe it out or purify the shadows.

Tala leapt up to feet, clipping the top of her head on the edge of Kopaka's mask as she did so. Elsewhere Deni gave a yelp as he had attempted to vault out of his hammocks but got a foot tangled and dangled until he could get free. Lee broke off from the game of vine tag with her air-brother and almost rocketed back to the village.

Telem and Kara were already sprinting across the wide dance flour, the young earth elemental faster then the stone one. Storm was also on her feet, pushing away from Tahu, her mask of seeking glowing.

All six Kora converged on the place that the three humans and one Jaffa were sleeping. The only true humans on the island.

* * *

Queen's note: Welp, you wanted to know when the Makuta was coming in didn't you? (gives a dark chuckle from where she's sitting in the lap of the Lord of Shadows)


	17. When Darkness Falls Part 1

**Paradise**** Island**

Chapter Seventeen: 

When Darkness Falls...

Part 1

Nights, like the days on the island of Mata Nui were long. Shorter then the day but still long enough to let even a Le-Koro party wound down into drags of smaller gatherings and eventfully trailed into sleep and rest until only the sentries and scouts were the only ones wide awake. They stood a silent guard over then home and fellow Matoran against the dangers of untamed predator Rahi, and not just on and around in the two skyscraper sized trees that housed the village proper, but near by ones. From the roots to the crowns there was someone or a trained Rahi to prowl around. Unlike most human sentries the Bionicle didn't stay in one place but constantly moved, looking for trouble before said trouble found them and their home.

It was quite safe really, but every now and then there would be a brief gap in the pattern, most of the time those were found and corrected right away.

However, none of this overly mattered to Daniel Jackson. He was intent on making it to the 'facilities' that Turaga Nokama had showed Samantha after the woman asked, and then she showed the rest of her team. So after asking were said facilities were, getting lost, asking again and then getting lost _again_ on the way _back_ Daniel took a break.

It was quite a pleasant night really, and though dark, it wasn't pitch-black. There were more then enough light stones and bioluminescent plants to see where you put your feet on the board walk, and (more importantly) where the rails were located.

There was always something about jungles that the man liked, excluding pollen but here didn't seem to affect his allergies. The air was warm and aromatic with flowers, herbs and so many other things. Somewhere a Matoran was softly playing what could have been a flute on a higher level of the village, the sound drifting on the soft breeze.

Once, Dr. Jackson caught a glimpse of dancers out in the darkness, but away from the Le-Koro in the open air. The two figures darting and diving after one another before the larger one would surge upwards into the sky, the smaller one right behind. Then they would start all over again. It had to be the air spirits.

Daniel leaned over a safety rail in an attempt to keep the Toa and Kora of air in sight but the light stones couldn't reach that far into the dark. Sighing, the man crossed his arms on the rail and closed his eyes, taking a moment to just enjoy the warm night air. After a few moments he looked around and moved about ten feet to his right to a light stone. Reaching into a thigh pocket Jackson pulled out one of the complex carvings. It was made of a light weight stone of a cream color and palm size. The man was trying to figure out what the carving was when he heard it.

The man looked up, that feeling one gets when the subconscious picked up more then his conscious mind didn't. None the less the prickly feeling that crept up the spine and spread out over the neck, arms and up the back of his skull.

Daniel froze, having learned a long time ago with the Stargate Program to never ignore that feeling. He turned slowly around, scanning around for movement.

There was still the breeze and thus lots a movement.

After a minute ticked by in his metal clock Daniel started to wonder if it was just how the island of Mata Nui was just so _different_ then any other planet he'd been on. That and he would hazard a guess that humans just weren't in tune with what was 'right' and 'wrong' to the biometanical life forms as the Matoran were.

Yes, that had to be-

"_Yakasi na.._"

Jackson jerked around at the hissing voice that had a more metallic tone then the voices of the Matoran or Toa, even the Kora. At first there was nothing there and then Daniel remembered to _look up_ since (going by the Le-Matoran) things there weren't limited like humans and Jaffa. What he saw was half up side down on the next boardwalk up and also hanging on side ways to the tree itself.

The... creature (monster?) was like the other Bionicle beings of this world, but dispite the black armor it had a more organic outer look rather then a mechanical look that the Matoran did. The body was a bit long as well as the for arms that curved into spikes that folded back not unlike how a praying mantis' claws would. At the bend of that claw where two smaller ones framing the one larger claw. The hind legs were a little more human like except for the grasping toes that dug into the wood.

It's head neck was a little short to match up with the long body and the head was angular like a reptile...but there was just something very _wrong_ about the whole thing.

"_Crotan-Rahi._" The thing said, tilting it's head. Apparently the translation stone wasn't working for this thing, but the man already knew what 'Rahi' was, it had a duble meaning really, but mostly meant 'not like us,' or 'not like I.' 'Crotan' was one of three ways to say 'Human.' So in basics the thing just said something along the lines of 'you're a human not like I am.'

The creature tilted it's head as it moved, dropping down and twisting to land on the board walk Daniel was on. It was heavier then it look for the walk vibrated as it started forward.

"Not good." Jackson muttered backing up only to freeze as something behind him growled. Snapping around that way he saw another of the creatures climbing up over the rail. Just as he realized he shouldn't have turned his back on the first something hit him, hard. Those mantis like claws grabbed from the front and Daniel was hauled off his feet as he was still trying to get his senses back together. "Holly shit!"

It was never pleasant to realize you were in the middle of being kidnapped.

Although seeing one of your kidnappers get tackled from mid air was kind of cool.

* * *

Queen's note: I bet no one can guess what thouse two things are. Or rather, what they were...


	18. When Darkness Falls Part 2

**Paradise Island**

Chapter Eighteen: 

When Darkness Falls...

Part 2

Open air.

Open air was _bad!_

It was even more 'bad' when you were in open air with no safety straps, or a ride at all of any kind. Time faulted and slowed as Doctor Daniel Jackson fell, realizing the down side of having your kidnapper being tackled when said kidnapper was hanging sideways on the boardwalk. A boardwalk that happened to be in a sky scraper sized tree some sever hundred feet off the ground.

Just as gravity was tapping the man on the shoulder and clearing it's metaphorical throat, Jackson himself was half tackled, the Kora of earth's momentum dragging him along behind her. Kara rammed the digging claws of her right arm into the wood of the tree and swung the human around and onto her back. The black and gray Kora maybe the smallest of her sisters and brothers but she was still larger then a human, not to mention her mask power as she slammed the other set of claws in. Kara, though the smallest was also the strongest Kora with a Pakari, mask of strength so she was well able to climb up to the nearest boardwalk by upper body strength alone, well able to support the human's weight in addition to her own armor.

"Ka-ra!"

Daniel, with arms wrapped around the Kora's neck and knees braised on her back, looked up at the same time Kara did.

"Aw frag." Kara muttered as the monster like Rahi dropped over top of them. The Kora first wanted to jerk back to crack her head against the creature but couldn't with a fragile passenger. So she let go of the wooden wall, more like a cliff consider how high they were, with her right side claws and attempted to rotate to the left and slash out at the same time.

The creature screamed as it had to do a similar move the opposite way to avoid getting clawed in the head, yet it was bound and determined to get what it and the others came for. Had it been up against Storm, or Tala it would have been evenly matched for pure bulk. Even with her mask power angles were against her, as was the claw that nearly went into her shoulder.

This called for something Lee or Tala would do, i.e. something drastic. "Daniel friend hang on-" Kara warned as she took another swipe with her free claws for some room. As the creature jerked back again, the earth elemental braced her feet better and yanked out the claws anchoring them to the tree and pushed off…back into open air.

It was a good thing that the translation stone didn't know the Bionicle equivalent of the not so polite word that was said (yelled), but Kara also knew several human languages so it didn't matter. What did matter was that the Kora was calm, even in free fall with limpet-acting human on her back. This was far from the first time Kara had to take an unplanned leap off of a high place, here in Le-Wahi, or the slopes of the island's two main mountains or even underground in her home Wahi. It also helped a great deal that there were many branches on the way down that she could get her claws into, as well as the cords to one of Le-Koro's many elevators. Kara felt her left claws snare and then tare through one branch, braking it and scaring another.

The Kora managed to drag her right claws on the side of another massive branch, drastically slowing yet pushed off it, aiming for a lower branch. Landing feet first Kara's momentum forced her to go forward. With a passenger she had to plant her hands and flip over them and back up onto her feet. She turned around, putting the human between her and the main trunk of the great tree, arms up and claws out, ready.

"Kora Kara?" Daniel asked after he got his heart out of his throat for the most part, enough to let him talk and his stomach at least from his feet to his knees.

"It is not over yet Daniel friend," Kara warned looking all around, and not just to the sides, in front and behind but above _and_ below.

"What were those things?"

"Huminos," Kara said slowly, and it was not lost on the man that she had hesitated, "They are what you will become if the Makuta's shadows swallow your spirit."

"_What?_" Dr. Jackson asked loosening his hold in surprise, unfortunately he did that at the same time the Kora launched to her right and one of those monsters, the 'huminos' descended with its praying mantis like armed extended. Once again the man was treated with the feeling of being grabbed non to gently and try as he might Daniel couldn't hold onto the Kora. He saw Kara twist around mid air as humino creature head-butted the back of his skull.

* * *

"Karasister!" Lewa dropped his arms, streamlining his body and mentally shifted his thinking just a little, the blast of air increased his speed downwards, helping gravity's pull on his body. As he passed the shadow infested humino, the Toa of air felt his passenger shift on his back before pushing off. He didn't have time to worry about Tala as he gained space between himself and the Kora of earth, flipping his swords so they were now attached to his forearms and he reached out to close a hand around a black foot and pulled.

Even before he had a good hold, Lewa was curling over the younger elemental, twisting around. With his earth sister firmly held between his left forearm and chest, the Toa created another gust of wind at the same time his mask of levitation started to glow brightly as it activated with a mental command.

"Hurry brother," Kara said as she scrambled to get over the Toa's back so he could use both arms and blades as a stable, "We cannot lose another to the shadows..."

"Griptight sister." Lewa said as he truly flew instead of gliding on air currents, above him he saw his own Kora with her glider heading off to the north. Lee was starting to descend fallowing a smug of white that the Toa just barely saw.

Ahead said white smug was currently taking a literal leap of faith.

Of course Kora Tala's thoughts were along the lines of, "Bad idea, bad idea, _bad idea!_" But at the moment she couldn't stop even if she wanted to and the Kora wouldn't have if she could (confused yet?). That same ability, the instinct or passably programming that let her and her Kora sibling sense the Makuta's darkness so much better than anyone else was also what drove Tala to fallow like this.

It may seem strange to a human, but to the Kora this was perfectly normal, it was the way they had always been.

That still didn't mean they wouldn't scream about it in mid-air. After all, Tala's element was _ice_ not air, but like Kara and the other Kora (as well as the Toa for that matter) this wasn't the first time she'd taken a leap off of some high place. In fact Tala had done something _like_ this back in her home Wahi, and after those first few ungraceful crashes Kopaka had taught his Kora how to make a landing ramp. The stark white Bionicle twisted in the air, curling up to be able to slip one of her extended combat shields from her forearm to under her feet. One foot was shoved under the grip Tala used to trigger the claws with a curtain pressure on a trigger, so they wouldn't extend now. By the time Tala had straitened back up her shield was now in the role of a snowboard.

Using the shield still on her right arm, Tala compressed the trigger the right way to snap out those claws and then used the tool to channel her elemental energy. Though not nearly as strong as Kopaka, Tala still was able to make a ramp of ice that was big enough for her, starting on the trunk of the great tree, over a root and to the ground. Compacting herself into a ball at the last moment, the curved shields added to the 'ball' look the Kora happily played the part of a bowling ball into the just landed huminos.

A surge of wind announced Lee as the young air elemental landed for a brief moment, long enough to shift her grip on the boomerang like glider. Holding it by one end she turned in place before letting it go, "Icesister quickduck!"

Tala didn't jump up like she was planning but, with both shields in hand stayed low until the guilder had passed, blocking two bursts of black energy and launched at the closest humino. Luckily it was the one that had their human guest and also luckily it seemed to be allergic to ice.

With its lower half frozen and the ice building up its mid-section the creature shrieked, dropped its victim in order to use both long claws to start hacking at the imprisoning ice. Realizing who the attacker was the vaguely mantis like Rahi took a swipe at Tala as the Kora ducked around it to grab Daniel by the back of his shirt and lift him over one of her shoulders.

In that moment Lewa landed, his what-ever several hundred pound body wasn't as large or heavy as his brother Toa, but he was still big enough to make the ground shutter under him. With swords flipped around and hocked on his forearms, he branched something he hadn't used for quite some time. Lewa lifted his old axe and expertly threw it, nearly taking at arm off one of the tainted Rahi that was about to drive a long claw into his little air sister's back, the blade of the axe sank into the wood of a root over half way. More than enough to panic the humino.

The Kora and the huminos Rahi were on average an equal match one on one. Five against three, the Kora would have a bit of a challenge since these Rahi were rather smart. However you put a Toa in the mix and the huminos do the only thing that is smart:

Scream and run away.

The trapped Rahi tripped it's efforts and cracked the last of the ice, jumped over Kara and fled into the Le-Wahi forest, screaming what seemed to be gibberish.

"...That was sorrybad." Lewa commented from where he was crouched, a little disappointed. The rarely seen warrior side of him bleeding away as he straightened up and rolled his shoulders.

For all that activity no more than ten or eleven minutes had past from the time the creatures had attacked, grabbed, fled, and then retreated.

"...ow." Tala said from a patch of ferns where she had been ran over.

A human sat up, a young woman that wasn't Major Carter. This 'human' had light gray skin, one blue eye and one red as well as short cropped hair. She blinked, lifted a hand to her face and her colored eyes widened.

"My mask!" Tala yelped, jumping to her feet, "That slimy Rahi _took my mask!_"


	19. what

**Paradise Island**

Chapter Nineteen: 

...what?

Toa Lewa grasped the edge of the walkway and pulled himself over, despite his size he was quite nimble with only one hand, the other was currently cradling a limp body. Somewhere behind him he heard his younger sisters of air and earth as the former gave the latter a quick ride back up to the Koro. Knowing that the Turaga would be near or with the other humans he turned to his left and with the keen knowledge that only one who had lived years in Le-Koro that let one use all sorts of short cuts. So within a few minutes he was coming around a corner to see the hurt that had been given to the humans.

The one human, the leader of the little group spotted him first from the door way of the hut. In front of him was the two fire elementals standing guard, Tahu's mask was glowing and the resulting shield visible by flickering red and white energy. Whatever was said was muted by the shield but Tahu glanced down at the man and then up.

Lewa waved his free hand, making the 'all is clear' sign that Kopaka had taught him.

Tahu's shield faded with the glow of his mask, "Brother?" the Toa's gaze shifted upwards, noticing what the humans didn't yet see and tensing.

"Daniel!" Colonel O'Neill was already by the kneeling Toa since he had been outside already. He reached up to press two fingers against the other man's neck, Jack sighed in relief at the steady pulse he found. He was blocked from trying to relieve the Matoran guardian of the unconscious doctor.

"No Jackfriend," Lewa shook his head, "The Turaga must be sure that Danielfriend is no infected with the Makuta sickness." He frowned a moment, and then his expression changed to one of surprise and the Toa hitched his shoulder, "Icesister!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to!" Tala voice said from behind Lewa, the Toa straightening from the hunched position he'd been in to let the Colonel check his teammate.

"What happened sister?" Tahu didn't demand, but he was worried as he stepped around Major Carter and the Jaffa Teal'c. Storm staying behind them, with her back the them as she stayed on the lookout for any more attacks.

"One o' the fragging, kima-huminos ran me over," Tala said as she climbed up from where she'd been hanging onto Lewa's back to his shoulder. Pausing she grabbed the offered hand and was lowered down to the ground, the disguised Kora let go of the two green fingers she was holding onto and landed beside the startled Colonel, "It took my mask!" she said indigently looking up at Tahu, and then scanned around somewhat nervously for Kopaka.

"_Tala?_" Samantha asked coming closer, her eyes wide as she looked at what appeared to be a human youth, not a teen but early twenties.

The Kora of ice glanced over, her minor rant in a Toa dialect slowing and then trailing off as she blink _up_ at Jack, "What?" she blinked her colored eyes. She was bare foot and had creamy white leggings and a sleeveless shirt of a simple design on that stood out a little against her grey skin. "Oh, right you don't know." Tala said remembering, and gave the conscious SG1 a slightly sheepish wave.

"The Turaga said our world had been linked to the human one." Tahu commented, quirking up an eye ridge. Behind him, Tahu heard Storm give a sound that was suspiciously like a giggle and he spared a moment to narrow his eyes at his Kora.

Storm happily chirped in a Rahi like way, making Tala and Lewa smile and Tahu roll his glowing eyes at what seemed to be a privet joke.

"Who else thinks dis is gonna be a long mornin'?" Tala drawled, her ascent thickening a little more than normal as she turned her smile to the still staring Jack.

* * *

"This is weird." Colonel O'Neill said, once more staring at the 'human' formed Kora of ice.

"It's normal." Storm assured sitting on the level above the SG1 team, "It's a built in disguise since we Kora have to interact with the human world. Toa stand out a bit more than we do."

Jack glanced at the young fire elemental, giving a faint snort at the last part if her comment, and then back over to Tala beside him, "But you...shrank."

Tala finally opened one eye, a red iris with an orange center. There was no inner glow but her eyes were almost human like, the other blue one was more so. "Deep space." She said in explanation.

"Is that not like sub space?" Teal'c asked from where he was sitting.

"Eh..." Tala twisted around to look up at Kara, who had been quietly sitting since the five were left here.

"We call it deep space, you call it sub space, so yes, they are one in the same." The Kora of earth said without opening her eyes, she was in the same position Tala was, her feet pressed together and wrists resting on her bent knees. Bionicle couldn't cross their legs like humans could, the armor prevented that from happening but this position worked just fine.

The odd group were in a chamber built into the trunk of one of the great trees that supported Le-Koro. It wasn't like the huts, in fact the room looked like a scaled down version of that chamber in the Kini Nui where the Turaga had told the story of the Bionicle.

Here there were only three levels, not including the bottom with its ring and sand pit, not dozens and around thirty seven feet from one curved wall to another side. Matoran hands had expertly, and perhaps fondly inlaid green and white stones in _everything_, from the walls, the levels for sitting, to even the ceiling. These weren't random designs but hand a distinct look that reminded who ever looked at it of a continued trail of wind.

This place was the highest point of Le-Koro that was still technically apart of the village proper. The drums, look out stations and Lewa's Kini were all higher. Actually the Kini of Air was relatively right above this chamber, though not connected directly.

For the safety of the human and Jaffa not involved in what was going on 'up stairs' (so to say), Jack and Teal'c had been hustled in here with three Kora inside and the other three were roaming the Koro on look out. Jack, Teal'c and Tala were all on the middle, second level. Storm and Kara were on the third facing the only door that lead to the outside, each had their respective weapons close to hand.

Er, well, Storm did, she had her sword across her lap with her right hand on the hilt and left on the flat of the silver blade, both just resting but not gripping. Kara had a digging claws attached to her forearms, not unlike what Telem had, only the earth Kora had three smaller claws that were about the same length of her forearm and would extend rather than flip into place.

"So, why is it again that Carter was the only one aloud up stairs?" The Coronel asked, turning himself to look from fire to earth elementals and then back to Tala, who had returned to what looked like meditation.

"Teal'c cannot be in the Lewa's Kini for the creature he carries will interfere in the process of making sure your friend is not tainted by the shadows." Kara said, her voice was soft again, as it had been when SG1 first met her. No traces of the fighter from before, just a quiet spirit watching.

The two men blinked, none of the team had never mentioned the symbiote before.

Seeing they didn't fully understand what she meant, Kara shifted her thinking back to 'normal,' away from the energies she was keeping tabs on above like Tala was trying not to. She knew her ice-sister had some rather... unpleasant memories linked to what was going on. "There has to be someone there as a... a base, as what Daniel's energies should be like. The, um, whatever inside of you Teal'c interferes with that." She attempted to explain better, but had the feeling it wasn't working.

Hey, you try explaining something that was normal for your world, but was alien to another culture. Sometimes things just lost in translation, stone or no stone.

"So… why Sam?" Jack said after blinking a few times.

"I think," Tala said before anything else could be said, "It's because Turaga Matau likes you friend better. He's always been a flirt."

Two near identical, strangled sounds of repressed laughter came from Storm and Kara at that. At the same time O'Neill slapped his face as he sighed.

"Graaaaate..." the man muttered under his breath, it figured...and seemed to be a part of SG1's general luck.


	20. Toa class of healing

**Paradise Island**

Chapter Twenty: 

Toa class of healing

Lewa's voice rose up first, strong as he began the song, lifting his arms up above his head a moment before his ice brother and water sister. When he lowered them it was only to bend his elbows and holding his right hand palm flat so Gali's could be placed there and lightly grasp, Lewa lased his other clawed tipped fingers with Kopaka, who was doing the same as him with their sister.

The water spirit's light voice lifted than, the words almost flowing like the rivers she loved to swim in, Gali's tone weaving in to and helping to blend Kopaka's deeper voice to Lewa. Of all the Toa Nuva Lewa had best and richest singing voice, as well as the most practice. Not to make it sound like the others were bad, Tahu and Onua were wonderful bass singers, Pohatu despite being as deep crested as Onua could wander all over the scale and still keep (mostly) in pitch. Kopaka's soft voice kept to a deep baritone while Lewa was close, he and Gali could effortlessly reach higher than the others (more so the latter).

Other than Lewa the Toa just didn't have much cause to sing, thus it made what was happening that much of a treat as much of a necessary.

What was happening was more instinct to the Toa, or perhaps even some programming rather than a practiced ritual. These three were the 'healing elements,' and the air seemed to slowly thicken, at first with humidity and then all but crackling with two different types of energy. The elemental energy that kept the air moving, humid one moment and the next it was chilly, only to return to the tropical rainforest heat. Then there was the 'Toa' energy that crawled over the living spirits' body armor like forks of white lightning, it wasn't clear it if was just gathering near or coming from their heart-lights that pulsed with the Bionicle try-beat before spreading out over chest and back, down the arms to claw tipped fingers.

Soon it became clear that Lewa and Kopaka were giving their energy to Gali, with her hands resting in theirs. Water was the ultimate healer of the three elements after all. As much as the element could harm with storms and wrath of title waves, it was also supported life, the life blood as air was the breath of living things and ice preserved.

The elder of the guardian air spirits of the island wasn't just swaying, but was in a sort of diluted dance. His feet were for the most part firmly planted, now and then rocking up to the equivalent of the balls of the feet, and Lewa kept his hands in place. Yet there was little movements in the body that was like a dance in a way.

Major Carter resisted the urge to say, "Damn it." as the woman just realized she didn't have any sort of camera. The woman was almost right under the joined hands of Lewa and Kopaka, where Turaga Nokama had nudged her however long ago it was now. Samantha had a prime view of what was happening all around, as well as seeing whatever was going to happen to Daniel who was now sleeping in the middle of the Kini, on a low table like thing.

Gali shifted, letting go of her brothers and as she gathered the moister in the air to a glob of growing water between her hands at the same time she knelt down. The glob turned into a perfect sphere of liquid, clear like the pools far below on the rainforest floor on the flight to the Koro. After a moment the sphere started to glow, faintly at first and then brighter until it was the same silver color from the first time SG1 had seen Gali heal.

The Toa was already pressing the healing water onto the man when Samantha realized what was happening. Fearing a fate of drowning for her friend and teammate the Major started forward, only to run into a loose cage of white.

"Wait," Kopaka said, holding the woman back easily as his sister of water worked.

"He'll drown!" Samantha yelped, trying to push away from the over sized digits.

"He won't Samfriend." Lewa eased down, balancing on the ends of his feet, not unlike the equivalent of the balls of a human foot, propping his elbows on his knees and cocking his head slightly at her, "Galisister has righthealed humans before, and can pull the wet out of his chest once down." He tapped his own chest as the Toa of water lifted her right hand and the silver water.

"There is no shadow infection from the huminos," Gali said nodding to her white armored brother, watching Kopaka let go of the human female, "He will be fine, tired, but fine."

"And lucky," Lewa put in, "If he was bit...a sorrybad thing if it did." The Toa shrugged, declining from elaborating more when the woman look up at him.

"You can take him to sleep the rest of the night." Gali added to both human woman and Lewa as she leaned up against Kopaka to cold-leach from the ice elemental. Kopaka was stepping aside to let Lewa pick up and herd the Major out, once they were outside as well he looked up.

The younger elemental let go of the branch she was holding onto upside-down where she had been waiting and drop down lightly in front of the two Nuva, "The trackers have found huminos' trail." She reported "I'm going back now, but Onua said we need you ice-brother. You're the best tracker on the homeisland."

"Go," Gali pushed Kopaka's side, "I will stay here with Lewa and the three Kora."

Kopaka nodded, "Be safe sister," he said softly fallowing after his younger air sister, after a moment he was moving with the same speed but that unnerving lack of sound like a pale ghost in the night, in a way that creeped out even the other Toa.

Left along in the dark the water elemental turned to look out over the vast tree tops and after a few minutes. In that time Gali followed her brothers and Kora siblings with her senses, following their elemental energy that stood out like Kopaka in Po-Wahi. At the very fringes of her senses, which were almost as strong as Turaga Vakama and Nuju, the darkness that was always there thanks to the Makuta was more...active than normal.

Gali watched as the sun abruptly came up as it tended to in Le-Koro, being so high up. Without looking the Toa of water reached out into a 'wall' of ferns as she started walking, when she pulled her arm back she had a started Le-Matoran in her grasp. Apparently Tamaru hadn't been as sneaky as he thought he'd been.

The Le-Koro gave a nervous sound that was half chuckle half giggle, relived that Gali had wrapped her arms around him. Supporting and reassuring as she turned her yellow eyes down to the Matoran, "Sorryoops?"

The Toa chuckled, "Tamaru, please tell the Turaga I need to meet them at my brother's Suva, not the Kini here in the village."

"Yes Toa Gali!" Tamaru froze as Gali tapped her mask against his in the Bionicle equivalent of a kiss. The pilot after being set on his feet had a happily dazed look, wandering off in a random direction. Before he fell off board walk he shook his head, looked around. With a sudden energy he launched into the open air, fearless as any Le-Matoran of the freefall. "Takua! Kren!"


	21. ExoToa

Paradise Island

Chapter Twenty One: 

Exo-Toa

_It's amassing how much can go on in a short amount of time_, Pohatu mused as he shook his head and eased down so not to damage the boardwalk under him, _especially here on Mata Nui_.

Pohatu yawed widely, stretching as best as his hunched back would let him before relaxing at last after no less than five loops around the island. Sitting in the classic Bionicle pose in front of Lewa's personal storage area he settled down, planning on not getting up for at least a few hours and a nap.

Most of the time the Toa, and Turaga to a point, would make use of their younger Kora sibling to run to the different Koros for whatever reason for them. Mostly since the Toa were either patrolling or sent on a mission by the Turaga and the Kora were used to get a stronger back up if need (normally it wasn't, as well that Toa and Kora could link). Yet last night with the somewhat chaotic hunt for huminos that slipped into Le-Koro.

It had been annoyingly difficult until Kopaka and then later Lewa joined the hunt. Mostly it had been the- if the pun could be forgiven- the icy wrath of a slightly over protective brother that had not only found the cave/den of the mutated monsters, but incased everything inside in that deep-stasis kind of ice after finding out that the huminos had broken Tala's mask out of spite.

A new mask was being made in Ta-Koro, one of the errands Pohatu had done and now Tala was off annoying Tahu while she waited for the mask makers. For some reason a game had started between the Matoran to make the best new Rau that would make Vakama proud.

But, all that aside now, the stone elemental was happy to relax at the moment and essentially zone out. At least until someone attempted to edge around his bulk, only not to watch where they were going. Used to the rather amazing dives, tumbles and accidents that came from his village's more rambunctious spot nuts, Pohatu had a pretty good reflex of grabbing up someone Matoran size to save them for whatever reason.

"Careful," Pohatu chuckled, "Don't want to fall over in Le-Koro."

Major Charter brushed her clothes off of pollen, not dust, she was in her uniform pants (for the great need of pockets for all her new samples) and a skin-tight black under shirt. It was a must now not to be in full gear because of the day time heat of the rainforest day, the morning mists have long since burned off. Her hat had her camera rigged up to it for her lengthy lesions all morning in the Le-Koro medical level with go Le- and Ga-Matoran healers. "Thank you...Po..."

"Pohatu," The Toa smiled as he supplied his name, aware from the trip he took with the Kora and a few of the other Nuva awhile ago...and the Kora's reports of humans in general, he knew some of the most normal Matoran words were hard for humans to remember or pronounce.

"I didn't mean to run into your foot..." Sam smiled despite herself, she had been thinking of asking Kern to take her to a grove of trees Sam had just herd of 'in class.'

"It's fine, better that you run into me than I run you over." Pohatu grinned broadly at the look he got, he paused and noted the added things that hadn't been on the woman the night before, "Looks like you got caught by the musicians at some point."

Carter smiled, "Earlier this morning. Do Matoran ever sleep?"

"Whenever they're tired." Pohatu said amiably shifting until his permanently hunched back was as comfortable as he could be leaning back against the side of the door to the storage area.

It took a split second, where Samantha did a quick calculation and the fact that Pohatu was one of the more approachable of the Toa. Despite the un-nerving size difference between the guardians of this amazing island and the people (as well as SG1), the Major stepped closer. Resting a hand carefully on a bent, brown colored knee of the Toa, "What happened?"

"Hmmm?" The stone giant didn't turn his full attention back to the human for a few moments it took him to squint at a flying Rahi, making sure it wasn't an danger. Or worse a Nui-Rama scout, since those things liked to readily test the defenses of Le-Koro. "Happened? Nothing, just been running all night and need a sit down."

"I meant," Samantha motioned to the Toa's hunched form with one hand.

Pohatu blinked his orange and red eyes at the Major a few times, his expression not blank but interestedly confused. Then something seemed to _click_ in the back of his mind, "Oh! This?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, meaning his back, and once he got a nod, Pohatu smiled ruefully with a light shrug. "I broke my back."

"You _broke_ your back?" Samantha asked as her eyes widened. Knowing that with humans and most other organic beings and creatures that once the spinal structure was broke or shattered the being or creature in question was generally dead. At that moment a tiny click from the camera that meant it just ran out of memory and automatically shut down.

At the confusion and worry of the other worlder he reached down to brush the backs of his claws on Samantha's side and arm, "It was a long, long time ago little one. I have more than healed since then." Of course there was the fact that Pohatu like his brother Nuva couldn't remember the time before their island that well, thus Pohatu didn't know _when_ or _how_ he'd broken his back... Not that he was going to mention that to the humans. It was a kind of island wide understanding, along with some other things.

"That's good," Samantha said, managing not to say 'amazing' for fear of possibly insulting the Toa that, when standing, the Major didn't even clear his knee. Samantha reached out to touch the armor of the closer leg, but jumped as she saw a form standing in the storage room. He was bigger than even Onua, silver and gray armored with a blue visor over the eyes and... and...

...and no face?

Pohatu had turned automatically as the human jumped, his climbing claws that were attached to his wrists flexing back to a hocking possession, "Oh, don't mind the Exo-Toa." He said with understanding, turning back to smile reassuringly at Carter. Or he hoped it was reassuring since humans had a funny way of smiling.

"Who...what is an Exo-Toa?" Major Carter, now that she could see the new 'person' wasn't a person at and standing in a storage area too still to be alive (even the Bionicle being half mechanical still had many little movements, like _breathing_) was relaxing from her start and understandably cursing inwardly. Of all the times to run out of memory for the camera!

"Automated, external armor." Pohatu said shuffling a little so he could motion up at the still Exo-Toa, "That's Lewa's, looks like was in for repairs or a check up." The Toa heaved himself up, and motioned for the human to come closer. Pohatu spoke in a Toa sub dialect that the translation stone couldn't translate.

Samantha jumped as the massive thing moved on its own, widening its stance, arms lifting and then...it split apart. The Exo-armor opened up, showing that it was hallow... no not _hallow_ exactly, the silvery inside gave the illusion of being larger than it should. Then again the Major remembered the unusually adept manipulation of subspace such as those personal storage pocks the Bionicle had, it wasn't that much of a stretch. "What do you use it…or them- since you said this was Lewa's- for?"

Pohatu smiled obviously approving of the correct guess and in one quick move he has twisted around slide into the armor. At once the Exo-Toa closed, conforming and altering itself to fit snugly around the stone elemental and his hunched back.

"We used them, to fight the Makuta and his minions." Pohatu said, his voice having a slightly echoing tone as he moved, the armor making soft sounds as it was controlled as if a part of his body. He spoke that word again and the Exo-Toa stepped back before opening again to let Pohatu out, shaking his shoulders free and giving the command for it to return to its silent watching of the space out beyond the door. In truth it was the direction that the Ramma Nui came from most of the time and a clear view of the space between the two trees that hosted Le-Koro and the surrounding forest. "You want to try?" he asked, an unreadable look in his multi colored eyes.


End file.
